The Princess, the Queen, and the Thief
by A Hopeful Voice
Summary: Gothel escapes with Rapunzel after she heals Eugene, and the two head to Narnia, where the Kings and Queens are ruling over Narnia during attacks by an unknown force.
1. Healing

**Hey y'all! So I was planning on writing a Tangled/Wicked (B'way musical) crossover, but I was like, eh, what the heck? Might as well write about something else that came out this month! So this was born. I don't really know where I'm going with it (I have some plot details), and I have absolutely no idea how long it's going to be. It will be at least 20K words by the time I'm done with it because I refuse to write a multi-chapter that's less than 20K words. I'm hoping it may be up near 40-45K, but I don't really know. Maybe it'll be longer! We'll just have to see how it goes.**

**So far, I have 2.3 chapters written (I'm working on Chapter 3 right now), and the update schedule shall be thus: Tuesday, Thursday, Sat/Sun. I'm starting a new production in January (I'm Marian in the Music Man!), and I have rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday and some Saturdays, but I'll try and be ahead of schedule so I can update on time. But you'll have to be patient with me.**

**I don't really know what the pairings will be yet (other than Rapunzel/Eugene-that's a given), but expect some others, too, with some OCs maybe...we'll see. Oh, and if I had to pick the characters for the little drop down menu things on the categories, it would be Rapunzel, Susan, and Eugene/Flynn. That should makes some sense now(cough*lookattitle*cough)...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled or Narnia! :( I wish I owned Edmund Pevensie or Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert... :'( Well, please enjoy and review! :)**

* * *

**The Princess, the Queen, and the Thief**

_Chapter I – Healing_

Flynn Rider and Maximus rushed to Rapunzel's tower. As soon as the tower was in sight, Flynn slid off of Max's back, and ran the few remaining yards. "Rapunzel!" he shouted as loudly as he possibly could. "Let down your hair!" Nothing happened. No hair fell. The ominous gray clouds circled above. "Rapunzel!" he repeated, "Let down your hair!"

He began to climb the stone tower. But then he heard a noise from above. It sounded like a scuffling of feet, but then the long, golden hair fell from above like a miracle. It was much easier to climb hair than a stone wall, surprisingly enough.

And climb he did. Love and hope and despair and a feeling of doom propelled him upward toward the only woman he could love. Flynn jumped through the window and into the tower's main room, panting and breathless. He smiled, but immediately frowned, eyes widening, as soon as he saw Rapunzel.

She was kneeling on the floor, her hands chained to a wall behind her, her mouth gagged so she could do nothing but make illegible noises that sounded like pleas and screams. Her eyes widened and she struggled against her bonds, and then Flynn realized what she was warning against.

Something sharp and cool immediately pierced his side, and was twisted and jerked upward. The foreign object was pulled out and Flynn clutched his side as he winced and fell to the ground. Through the pain, he heard Gothel saying something and heard Rapunzel screaming and struggling against her chains.

Rapunzel continued to struggle, not wanting to let Eugene die, but Gothel was evil. Pure evil. Rapunzel fought as Gothel pulled her toward the gaping hole in the floor. She glanced down and saw the dark abyss and the ladder that led to it. There was no way that she would go down that ladder and allow Eugene to die.

The gag slipped free and Rapunzel was thrown against the floor, sliding away from her mother—no, the witch, Gothel. "No! Stop! I won't go with you! I'll never stop fighting you as long as I live! But, if you let me heal him, I will go with you. If you let me heal him, I won't fight. I'll go with you, and we can go far away, and it will just be the two of us, just as you wanted. I _promise_."

"No, Rapunzel," Flynn gasped through the pain, clutching his side and curling on the floor. The pain in his voice made Rapunzel cringe. Even Pascal seemed to sigh. They all knew that Rapunzel never _ever_ broke a promise.

"If you let me save him, I will go with you and I won't fight and I won't run and I'll go wherever you tell me to go and I'll stay with you forever. I promise." There was silence as Gothel considered her prisoner's words. "Just…let me…save him," Rapunzel said slowly.

Gothel took the chains off Rapunzel and transferred them to Flynn Rider's wrists. He was leaning against the stairs, as she locked him up and said, "So you can't follow us." She thrust his wrist down against his chest. He wheezed and cringed in pain.

Flynn clutched his bleeding side as Rapunzel rushed over and fell roughly to the ground beside him. "You'll be okay, Eugene! You will!" His breathing grew shallower as Rapunzel gently moved his right hand away from his lower abdomen. She pulled back his vest to see the warm, red blood seeping through his white shirt. "Oh," Rapunzel said, frantically grabbing her hair and trying to press it to his wound.

Flynn fought with her, saying, "No, I can't let you do this."

"And I can't let you die," Rapunzel said painfully, tears filling her eyes. She cradled his face with her hand, stroking his cheek with her thumb. She smiled gently as she said, "I don't have a choice."

"Yes, you do. Don't do this."

"I want to," she said, smiling softly.

He returned the smile for a few seconds, but then the smile turned into a grimace as the pain consumed him. Flynn tentatively pushed Rapunzel's hair behind her ear and started to use the little strength he had left to pull himself up to her. Rapunzel leaned in, and they were only inches apart when Gothel shouted, "Get on with it!"

Rapunzel pulled away and Flynn leaned back down, in more pain than before, from both the physical exertion and the emotional stress. Rapunzel gathered her hair and pressed it to his wound, trying to be gentle but she was too upset to pay too much attention.

She began to sing, "Heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine…what once was mine…" As expected, Rapunzel's hair began to glow and she knew that Eugene's wound was being healed. Once her hair began to fade back to a normal blonde color, Flynn's breathing became normal again.

He opened his eyes and the two looked at each other for a few seconds. Rapunzel smiled weakly, but Flynn still looked distraught. "Rapunzel," he said, "You were my new dream."

"And you were mine!" she cried. She embraced him and buried her face in his neck, but a second after this motion, Gothel pulled Rapunzel away.

"Come on, Rapunzel," Gothel said menacingly. Tears slid down Rapunzel's cheeks, but she had promised to go with the witch without fighting, and Rapunzel was incapable of breaking promises. Rapunzel silently followed Gothel to the hole in the floor, and she looked back at Eugene, who was still on the floor, chained to the wall. Eugene looked at Rapunzel, and Rapunzel looked at Eugene. Neither knew what to say.

Gothel walked back to Flynn. Rapunzel was afraid that she would kill the man she loved, but Gothel did nothing, except raise the frying pan and hit Flynn over the head with it.

Rapunzel gasped as Eugene's eyes closed and he hit the floor.

"Now he won't see us leave," Gothel said. "Come on, Rapunzel."

And so Rapunzel blindly followed Gothel, taking one last long look at the man she loved.

* * *

King Edmund and Queen Lucy raced their horses through the woods. They urged their steeds to run as fast as possible. The clan of black dwarves was quickly gaining on them. King Edmund looked back and saw a great number of dryads join in the chase.

"Hey, Lu," Edmund said nervously, "The trees are against us."

"Bother," she said, urging her horse on even faster.

"Come on, Philip," Edmund said to his horse, "we have to make it back to Cair Paravel as soon as possible."

They ran faster and faster and faster until even the riders were out of breath. Fortunately, they could see the spires of Cair Paravel in the distance. Edmund and Lucy leaned forward and slid off their horses as soon as they saw more soldiers riding toward them. Help, thankfully, not harm.

Lucy turned, causing her skirts to billow, and drew her dagger. Likewise, Edmund drew his sword. They faced the dwarves and the dryads and the other creatures that were against them. There was the clash and clang of metal upon metal as the army, plus the King and Queen, fought the dark creatures.

Suddenly, the creatures' army retreated and disappeared into the woods. Lucy and Edmund paused to catch their breath. "Why did they just leave?" Lucy asked.

"I've no idea," Edmund said. "Come; let's tell Peter and Susan what happened."

Queen Lucy the Valiant and King Edmund the Just walked through the large doors of Cair Paravel and toward the throne room. Their chain mail shook and rattled as they walked. The doors were opened for them, and Lucy immediately saw Susan and Peter sitting in their respective marble thrones upon the dais.

High King Peter the Magnificent was slouching, dozing on and off. Lucy had not seen either sibling in weeks, but it seemed like Peter had begun to grow a beard. Maybe he was just becoming lazy. _That's not very good for a King!_ she thought to herself.

Queen Susan the Gentle was sitting up straight in her chair, reading a letter, with a stack of multiple letters on her lap. She did not even notice her younger siblings enter the room. Lucy couldn't help but notice that Susan looked frustrated. _Probably more arrogant suitors,_ she thought.

"Su!" Lucy called, "We're back!"

Peter jerked awake and Susan looked up from her letter, a smile breaking across her face. "How was your trip to Archenland?" Peter asked.

"We were ambushed on the way back," Edmund said. "A group of black dwarves and some dryads and then others attacked us and followed us here. There was a small skirmish outside Cair Paravel, but then they retreated."

"How strange," Susan said. "Was anyone harmed?"

"No," Lucy answered. "What were you reading so intently?"

Susan looked down at her lap. "A letter from a nearby kingdom that I'd never heard of before. Corona. Have you heard of it?" Her brothers and sister shook their heads. "Well, they invited us to visit. I don't know if that's such a good idea, especially since we don't know who they are and someone is clearly plotting to attack us."

"Why shouldn't we go, Susan?" Peter asked.

"I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Well, you can stay behind. I think it would be good for us to get away from the Cair for a while," Peter said. "We only need to send two of us to make a good representative."

"I'll go!" Lucy volunteered.

"I'll stay with Susan," Edmund said, not really wanting to leave after being away for several weeks.

"It's settled then," Peter said. "Write back the King and Queen of Corona, and say that we'll be there in a few weeks. Lucy and I shall leave tomorrow at noon."

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Susan pouted.

"Don't be such a worrier," Edmund said. "You and I will be able to take care of things around here."

"I'm going to do some research on this kingdom of Corona," Susan said, gathering her mail and heading off to the palace library.

"I think I'll go get out of this chain mail," Lucy said. "I hate wearing it, but I'm glad I did." With a smile, Lucy left the room and headed to her private chambers. Once she arrived, Lucy was glad to see that Helena, her handmaiden, had lain out her favorite dress: the thick blue fabric with the flowing skirt and embroidery all over the bodice.

Lucy changed and headed to her balcony that overlooked the Eastern Sea. She could almost imagine seeing Aslan in the sun, in the water, everywhere. Lucy hadn't seen Aslan but twice in the seven years that they had reigned over Narnia. He came a few weeks ago for her sixteenth birthday, but she hadn't seen him for four years before that. After all, he's not a tame lion. Sometimes, Lucy wondered if her siblings might be losing faith in Aslan.

How could they? Aslan is the only reason they were here! They would all be dead without Aslan!

Lucy sighed. She leaned on the balcony and watched the sunset. As the sky sunk below the horizon, Lucy wondered what it would be like to sail to the end of the world. Was the world round here? Or was it like a table, where everything would just drop off? Or would the world end in Aslan's country? She vowed to make it to the end of the world someday, even if it was the death of her. Of course, then she would reach Aslan's country, which would be the next and greatest adventure of all.

Lucy smiled and went back inside to meet her siblings for dinner, unaware that the next few weeks would bring a new friend and a new adventure.


	2. Departing from Home

**So, I know I wasn't going to update until tomorrow, but I couldn't resist. So here's another chapter. It's shorter than the previous one, but it is just as important. The chapters get longer, I promise. And when I said this would be at least 20K words, make that at least 40K words as a minimum because I already have nearly 16,000 and I've only written 7 chapters. And it's still when everything is getting started.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled or Narnia. If I did, would I be here?**

**Please enjoy and review! Reviews keep me going! (And I know that you have this on your alert list and I know you're reading it!) :D**

**Oh, and pictures of the characters are on my profile (how I imagine them in this particular story, plus real pictures of how I imagine a non-animated Rapunzel and Flynn). Enjoy!**

_Chapter II – Departing from Home_

Susan continued her searching in the library all night. Edmund even came in and helped her. She could tell that he was a bit nervous about sending the High King and youngest Queen into an unknown kingdom. They dozed off for a few hours, but restarted their search at sunrise. All Susan could find was the name on an old map. Apparently, Corona was a tiny country, an eighth of Narnia's size, to the west of Archenland and Calormen, nestled somewhat in between the warring countries.

How had she never heard of it before?

"Hey, Su, I found something," called Edmund's voice from across the library. Susan picked up her golden skirts and crossed the vast room. She sat down across the table from him. He read, "'Corona, founded seven hundred years ago, is a small country between Archenland and Calormen, but does not reflect the climate and geography of either. Corona is not arid, like Calormen, but is not as frigid as Narnia and Archenland. It is not hilly like Archenland, but is flat and has forests. The people are mostly made up of Archenlanders, but the real roots of the country are unknown. The people of Corona stay mostly to themselves and make little to no contact with the surrounding countries.' That's all there is," Edmund finished.

"But at least that gives us a little information about them and explains why we haven't heard of them. I can't believe we didn't even know they existed!"

"Me neither," Edmund said. "But I feel better knowing that they most likely aren't sadistic cannibals who are going to eat our brother and sister and come take over Narnia." The two laughed a nervous and awkward laugh. "We should probably go help them prepare to depart."

"Yes," Susan said. "Oh, I wish the King and Queen of Corona would just come here, instead."

"I agree, but I don't think we're that lucky. I guess all we can hope for is for the Calormenes to be absent. And for the visit to be brief enough that Peter and Lucy will be back by Christmas. It's only three months away, you know."

"The snow will make it that much more difficult to travel," Susan said knowingly. "After all, the journey to Lantern Waste takes nearly a week and a half in the snow, if not more, and that's not very far at all. We don't even know how long it could take to get to Corona without the snow!"

"I know," Edmund agreed. "Let's go help our siblings."

They stood and carefully stacked the books. King Edmund and Queen Susan left the library and headed to King Peter and Queen Lucy's chambers respectively. Susan stopped by her chamber to grab something to give to Lucy.

Susan knocked on Lucy's door. Lucy opened the door and allowed Susan to enter. "Are you almost ready to leave?" she asked her younger sister.

"Nearly. I've packed a few simple dresses, just in case, and of course, my dagger and cordial."

"Here," Susan said, holding out her ivory horn. "Take this, in case you need help. Aslan will help us to find you."

"Thank you, Susan!" Lucy exclaimed, knowing how precious the horn was to Susan. "I'll take care of it!"

"I know you will, Lu," Susan said. Softly, she added, "I wish you weren't going."

"Why?"

"I just don't trust these people. What if they aren't who they say they are?"

"You have to learn to trust, Susan. Aslan will protect us."

Susan said nothing.

Lucy worried about Susan's faith in Aslan the most. She was the second to last to believe in him, and her faith was the weakest. _Please, Aslan, help Susan to see You for who You are! _

The girls finished packing Lucy's things, and then walked down to the grand hall where the Kings were waiting. The Pevensie family hugged each other and then followed the rest of the soldiers that were going on the trip to the drive leading up to the Cair. Peter and Lucy climbed upon their horses and waved as they rode off.

Susan and Edmund waved until their brother and sister were out of sight. "Do you think they'll be alright?" Susan asked.

"Of course," Edmund said. "Peter's a magnificent warrior, no pun intended, and Lucy wouldn't let anything get past her. They'll be fine. Let's go get some food. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Susan laughed.

"Of course!"

* * *

Flynn Rider came to with his head reeling and vision blurry. "Where am I?" he asked himself, uncomfortably noting that his voice was shaky. He looked around and saw that he was laying in what seemed to be a pool of dried blood. His shirt was bloody. He was chained to a wall. And then he remembered.

"Rapunzel!" he shouted as loud as he could. Flynn jumped up and fought against the chains. There was nothing he could do. But then he saw a little green frog—no, chameleon. Pascal. "Hey! Pascal!" Flynn called. "Do you wanna help me?"

Pascal was already on his way with a small hairpin in his mouth. He began to pick at the lock on Flynn's chains, and after a few minutes of struggling, Flynn was free. "Thank you so much!" Flynn cried. "Come on, let's go find Rapunzel!"

He picked up Pascal and ran to the window. Unfortunately, he would have to climb down, as the tile in the floor had been replaced and he couldn't remember which one it was that would open the floor and produce a ladder to reach the bottom of the tower. Flynn ran up the stairs and gathered all of Rapunzel's bedding, tying it together to create a rope.

He threw the "rope" out the window and attached it to the hook above the window. As he and Pascal slid down the bedding, Flynn said, "Y'know, I think I prefer her hair, strangely enough." Pascal rolled his eyes.

When they reached the ground, Flynn and Pascal looked around. There was Maximus, looking bored and excited at the same time.

"Thanks for waiting!" Flynn called as he swung himself up onto Max's back. The horse immediately took off across the field and through the rock formation. They sped through the carefully placed curtain of ivy and through the woods. Maximus expertly jumped over logs and leaped over shrubs. Every so often, Flynn had to duck below branches and dodge the occasional critter that just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Maximus seemed to be gaining speed with time, rather than be tiring. Flynn Rider was tiring by just riding on Max's back. Pascal looked even greener than normal. Flynn hoped that Pascal wouldn't throw up on his shoulder.

Eventually, Max had to slow down enough to find the scent of Rapunzel and Gothel. They were sent on false trails a few times, and sometimes the trail just ended. Fortunately, Max was more canine than equine, so it didn't take them too long to find the right lead. Unfortunately, Gothel and Rapunzel had at least a day's head start. Flynn didn't know exactly how long he had been unconscious.

Plus, Gothel probably knew where she was taking Rapunzel, so they would most likely be far, far ahead of the followers. How unfortunate.

Flynn could only hope that they would reach Rapunzel and Gothel in time to save Rapunzel from whatever _awful_ fate that Gothel had in store for her.

* * *

Rapunzel absentmindedly toyed with her hair as she followed her captor through the forest. She didn't like to complain, but they had been walking for a day with no rest stops, barely slowing down, and Gothel was constantly griping at Rapunzel. Rapunzel tearfully put on a brave face, trying to rebel slightly. However, she knew that it was pointless. She had promised to stay with Gothel forever, and she never, ever broke promises. Rapunzel was a prisoner in every sense of the word.

Tears silently slipped down Rapunzel's cheeks as she continued walking at a brisk pace behind her moth—Gothel. The only thing that kept Rapunzel moving were three thoughts: _I'm the lost princess; Eugene loves me; Eugene will come for me...I'm the lost princess; Eugene loves me; Eugene will come for me…I'm the lost princess; Eugene loves me; Eugene will come for me…_

Of course, Eugene Fitzherbert had never openly said "I love you", but the emotions were there. He had confessed that Rapunzel was his new dream; wasn't that better than those three simple, yet overused words?

Rapunzel didn't know if she would ever be able to tell anyone "I love you" because of the emotional trials it would remind her of.

_I love you._

_I love you more._

_I love you most._

Lies.

Every utterance of love that had come from Gothel's mouth had been a lie, hadn't it? Even if Gothel _had_ raised Rapunzel for eighteen years, she had still kidnapped the princess and locked her away for her own selfish reasons. What was the big deal about staying young? Everyone has to get old someday. Everyone has to die at some point.

Rapunzel wiped more tears from her cheeks. She tripped over a log and landed on the ground, throwing her hands out in front of her to block her fall. Rapunzel felt a slicing pain on her right hand. She gasped and saw the blood. She had cut her hand on a rock. Immediately, Rapunzel stood, and as she walked, she wrapped some hair around her hand and began to softly sing, "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse…"

"Shut up!" Gothel cried. "I don't want anyone hearing your song or seeing your hair!"

Rapunzel gave a silent sob and continued to walk. However, the healing power of her hair had worked for less song sung, so her hair began to glow and healed her hand. Once the golden glow had died down, Rapunzel let her hand fall back down to her side. A few moments later, Rapunzel raised her hand so she could look at it. No superhuman abilities. She gave half a smile.

Eugene had wished that her magic hair had given him super strength in his hand. "Because that would be _really_ awesome," he had said to her. No, there was no super strength, only a hand that looked like it had never been injured before.

Rapunzel cradled her hand and continued walking behind Gothel, hoping and wondering when they might stop and begin the rest of their lives.


	3. An Encounter

**Hello! Well, here's another update! I probably won't be able to update tomorrow, so expect one either Saturday or Sunday. Well, this story has officially hit over 20K words on my computer, so this will be a nice, long, and hopefully epic story. Random side note: I had a great dream last night! It was me in the "I See the Light" scene, but I was just watching Rapunzel and Eugene. It was kinda great, but I felt depressed when I woke up because I was kinda wanting to be Rapunzel...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled or Narnia. Poop.**

**And please review y'all! I know that you're reading this! And I really appreciate getting reviews! Plus, I want to know what you like or dislike about the story! So enjoy and please review! :)**

_Chapter III – An Encounter_

Lucy and Peter rode their horses through the woods along the Archen River, and away from the river itself. They were talking and laughing amicably with the soldiers who had come along with them. None were tired of the distance, even though they had been traveling for a little over a week. They had already crossed the Archen River the day before, and were heading along the mountain range that separated Archenland from Narnia, bypassing Mt. Pire and Anvard, which they had contemplated visiting for a few days, but decided against it because they wanted to get to Corona as fast as possible, and the King Lune would most likely insist on the Narnians staying for a month or two. Lucy knew that King Lune was fascinated by the four young rulers. After all, Peter was only twenty-one, Susan twenty, Edmund eighteen, and Lucy sixteen. They were very young to have already ruled an entire country and fought and _won_ a war in only seven years.

Lucy laughed at one of Peter's jokes ("How many fauns does it take to screw in a light bulb? Don't be silly; there aren't any light bulbs in Narnia!"), even though she was the only one because no one knew what a light bulb was! She sighed and then looked down at her Horse, Emilia.

Lucy tilted her head to the side and glanced down, seeing Susan's horn resting on her side, opposite from her dagger and cordial. She felt slightly wary by taking Susan's horn. What if Edmund or Susan needed it?

She shook off her doubts by adjusting her skirts. Lucy hated wearing chain mail because it was uncomfortable for her, so she was wearing a plain traveling dress with a brown, leather jerkin over her chest to protect her in case there was a skirmish or they were ambushed.

Amidst the loud laughing of the men and women, Lucy heard a rustle in the trees. She would have just assumed it was an Animal or animal, but it seemed different, especially after she heard shushing coming from that direction. "Stop, Emilia," Lucy commanded. The Horse halted and the others soon followed.

"What is it, Queen Lucy?" a faun asked.

"I heard something in those bushes over there," she answered.

"Are you sure it wasn't just your imagination?" Peter asked, receiving a little laughter from the others, causing Lucy to roll her eyes at them.

"Of course I'm sure it wasn't my imagination." Lucy got off her horse and drew her dagger, just in case. She cautiously approached the bushes. Lucy pushed back one of the shrubs and saw an old woman and a young woman. The old woman was covering the young woman's mouth.

"Oh, hello," the older woman said, releasing the younger woman.

"Hullo," Lucy replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, we're just taking a mother-daughter walk," the woman replied.

Peter walked up next to Lucy. "I'm High King Peter of Narnia, and this is Queen Lucy. Are you from Archenland?"

"No, we're from Coro—" the younger girl began, but was cut off by a tight squeeze on her arm. Lucy noticed that the younger girl's eyes looked raw and tired, and her hair was long, and golden, and long…Lucy stared at the girl's hair. It had to be at least seventy feet long!

Peter pretended to not to notice that the woman was harming the girl. He knew that if this was a hostage situation, it was best to leave them for the time being and have someone follow to help later. The woman laughed and said, "Well, we best be on our way. Sorry to bother you!" She immediately dragged the girl off, with the girl's hair trailing behind them.

"Lillian," Peter said as he beckoned over a female faun, "follow them, but don't let them see you."

"Yes, your majesty," she said as she bowed and walked off.

"Let's keep going," Peter commanded. They climbed back up onto their horses and began walking.

"What was that all about?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know, but I didn't like it," Peter answered. "It's so obvious that the girl was being held captive against her will. Did you see the look on her face? Anyway, all we can do is keep going, and hope that Lillian does her job and helps the girl."

Lucy wasn't happy with how Peter handled the situation. "Why didn't you just help the girl then and there? We clearly outnumber them!"

"Yes, but I have learned from experience that it's best to follow and help later. Or the girl will escape on her own later."

"How could you tell?" Lucy snapped.

"Her eyes," Peter said knowingly. "She's smart and determined. She'll find a way out. If not, Lillian will send word and we will be able to go rescue her, or Su and Ed will. I promise. We'll help her eventually."

"Eventually," Lucy repeated with disdain. She tossed her red-brown hair over her shoulder and fixed her silver crown. She wasn't happy with Peter's decisions, but he was the High King and she was his younger sister. Plus, she had to be in Corona as soon as possible. There was no way she could do anything else.

* * *

The weeks had passed quickly. Gothel and Rapunzel had made it out of Corona with no problems and no interference until they happened upon that party of royals and guards. Gothel was sure that they were done for. Rapunzel had almost given them away.

As soon as Gothel convinced them that they were fine, they walked away as fast as they could, aware that they were being followed. However, Gothel and Rapunzel lost the shadow quickly and easily. Once they were alone, Gothel slapped Rapunzel saying, "How dare you tell them where we're from? They might find out who we are!"

"Good," Rapunzel snapped. "I hope you're happy!"

"You promised you would come!"

"I promised I would come, but I never promised to be happy about it!" Rapunzel cried.

"Not so loud!" Gothel said, suspiciously calm.

"Why? They already know we're here! We don't even know where here is!"

"Shut up," Gothel ordered, and Rapunzel knew that she was fighting a losing battle. There was no way that she could go on and continue arguing with Gothel. She wasn't strong enough. Gothel had raised her to be perfectly in obedience to her mother. Even though Rapunzel had learned so much on the outside of her tower with Eugene, she would never be able to fight with Gothel. They loved—and hated—each other too much.

Rapunzel followed Gothel through the forest all day, even using her long hair to swing across a large river about an hour after their encounter with the royals. Eventually, nightfall arose and Gothel and Rapunzel had to stop to make camp. Gothel built a fire while Rapunzel rested, nibbling on some bread that Gothel had given her. After long, Gothel fell asleep, allowing Rapunzel to stare up at the stars. She was reminded of her night in the forest with Eugene. It seemed so long ago, but it was only a week and a half, or was it two weeks? Rapunzel lost count.

The stars looked so different here. She had charted stars, and while she could still see the same constellations, the stars looked closer and brighter here. Rapunzel took in a deep breath and inhaled the air. It felt different than before, in the woods of Corona.

The King, Peter, had mentioned that he was from Narnia. Maybe that's why it felt different…Rapunzel felt tears form in her eyes as she thought of her journey with Eugene. She felt so many emotions for him. Silent sobs wracked her slender body as she cried and cried and cried about her predicament. For all she knew, Eugene had starved to death in that tower. He had probably eaten Pascal because he was so hungry! They didn't like each other…Oh, Pascal…Rapunzel missed her best friend and the best chameleon in the world.

Rapunzel continued to cry as the night went on. But after an hour or so had passed of Rapunzel's crying, she felt a deep voice say, _"Everything will be alright_."

* * *

Susan tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't sleep because she was so worried about Lucy and Peter. They had left a week ago and she hadn't heard anything from them. Surely they were going to send word of how their journey was going!

Eventually, Susan accepted that she wasn't going to be able to sleep for a long time. She got out of bed, pulled her dressing robe over her nightgown and walked barefoot to the open doorway that led out to her balcony overlooking the Eastern Sea. The curtains in the doorway billowed in the breeze, the moonlight shining through the white gauze in an ethereal way. Susan felt at ease here. She had always been a night owl. Even back in—oh, where was it?—England, she had been happiest late at night when she could stay up and read.

Susan walked through the doorway and onto the balcony. The crisp night air made her shudder, but it was comforting, too. Susan loved summer nights in Narnia because they weren't hot, but they weren't cold, either. She walked to the marble railing and leaned against it, resting her cheek on her hand. Susan just watched the waves roll and crash along the shore. She thought she saw a small light in the distance, but that must have just been her imagination.

Something on the beach caught Susan's attention. She couldn't be sure, but it looked like paw prints. If they were large enough for her to see up here, then that could only mean one thing. "Aslan!" she gasped.

"Yes, child," Aslan's voice said from her right. Susan turned and saw the great Lion. He seemed bigger than the last time she saw him. Susan immediately sunk to her knees in a reverent bow. "Rise Queen Susan the Gentle." Susan stood and approached Aslan with a smile growing on her face.

"Oh, Aslan," she said, "I've missed you."

"I've been with you, daughter," he said.

"I know, but…I guess I just forget sometimes," she said. "Forgive me, Aslan."

"Susan, your faith must be stronger if you are going to survive the upcoming events. You must learn to trust in me."

"I will. I'll try harder," Susan said. "What upcoming events, Aslan?"

"There are dark forces growing in Narnia," Aslan said slowly. "You must be ready to fight them."

"We're always ready to fight, Aslan," said Susan.

"You won't be prepared for this because it is not a fight like you are expecting. While there will be physical battles, a betrayal of the worst kind will come from within. You must be ready."

"What kind of betrayal?" Susan asked.

"That is not part of your story yet, my child," Aslan said knowingly. Aslan knew that Susan was keeping something from him. "Say what is on your mind, daughter."

Susan took a deep breath and asked, "Why are you telling me this? Why not Peter or Lucy or even Edmund? I'm probably the least helpful in this situation."

"Susan, you must learn to trust me. You will be extremely important during this time. At one point, the fate of Narnia may rest in your hands."

"Oh, Aslan," Susan said, "I'm not strong enough for that."

"You will be, my child," Aslan said. "Trust in me. Have faith in me. Now, I must go. Do not tell anyone what was spoken tonight, Susan. It is not their story."

"Yes, Aslan," Susan said softly. She looked out to the sea, and when she looked back, the Lion was gone.


	4. Welcome to Corona

**Happy 2011! :) Here's an update for ya! I'll probably update again tomorrow, so be on the lookout. This story is officially 50 pages on Microsoft Word, and the world count is 27,708 and I'm still barely started! I'm so excited! :) And this chapter is where things start to get interesting...**

**Well, I'm glad you're enjoying this (from those of you I've heard from), but please let me know what you think in a review! And also tell me if there's anything you want me to include. I don't usually do this, but I will for this story because I can probably work it in somewhere.**

**Oh, and the whole 'Princess Helene' thing (pronounced Hel-ENE by the way, the stress is on the second syllable) is my idea. I thought that Gothel probably didn't know Rapunzel's real name, and I figured that the King and Queen would have named her something different. So there ya go! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled or Narnia. :'( I seriously wish I owned Eugene or Edmund, but, alas, I do not. :'( Reviews will make me feel better! :) Please enjoy this!**

_Chapter IV – Welcome to Corona_

The next two weeks passed even more quickly than before. Soon, High King Peter and Queen Lucy were walking through Corona toward the castle. They supposed that they were only an hour or so away from their destination. Lucy thought that the forests of Corona were beautiful. They were full of animals (even though they didn't talk) and were open and inviting and not somewhat primitive like Narnia's could be. But maybe it was just the lighting.

Soon, Lucy and Peter and the party were at the edge of the forest, looking at the bridge that crossed the lake and went into the village that surrounded the castle. Peter laughed a few seconds after seeing the island for the first time. "What?" Lucy asked.

"Well, I think it's ironic that the entire setup is a bit like Tashbaan's. Don't you think?"

Lucy looked at it and then giggled a little. "I suppose you're right. But I hope they are a little more hospitable than the Calormenes."

"I think we all hope that, your majesty," Jerian, a centaur, said.

They laughed and the party of about fifteen traveled across the bridge and into the town. As soon as they crossed into the town, people began to stare. Some little children screamed upon seeing the centaurs. Little girls pointed at Lucy and Peter's crowns. Little boys were fascinated with the swords. Parents were concerned about the mythological creatures that had walked into their vicinity. No one did anything rude, but they just stared and whispered and then continued on with their daily business.

King Peter and Queen Lucy led the party through the village and up to the castle, where the King and Queen of Corona were waiting. "Welcome to Corona!" the King bellowed. "I am King Harold and this is my wife, Queen Julia."

"I am High King Peter the Magnificent, and this is my sister, Queen Lucy the Valiant," Peter said.

"Please, come inside," Queen Julia said. The King and Queen of Corona led the King and Queen of Narnia through the large castle and into a private sitting room. "How was your journey?" Queen Julia asked.

"Long," King Peter answered. "But not difficult. Once we got out of Narnia and Archenland, the journey was pleasant and easy."

"Good," King Harold said. "How long did it take you?"

"About three weeks," Queen Lucy answered, not wanting to be left out because she was the youngest.

"Who is ruling in your stead?" Queen Julia asked.

"Queen Susan and King Edmund," Queen Lucy answered.

"You have two kings and two queens?" Julia asked.

"Yes," Peter answered. "Aslan, the true king of Narnia, crowned our entire family, thus crowning two kings and two queens. I am the oldest, and Lucy is the youngest."

"So you are all siblings?" Harold asked.

"Yes."

"How peculiar," he said. "How old are you? How long have you been ruling?"

"Seven years," Lucy answered. "Peter is twenty-one, Susan is twenty, Edmund is eighteen, and I am sixteen."

"You are but children," Julia said. Peter and Lucy looked put out. They immediately straightened up to seem larger than they were and looks of maturity and wisdom quickly spread across their faces. "I apologize for offending you. I only mean to say that you have been ruling for quite some time to be so young. It is quite impressive. Our…our daughter turned eighteen a month ago."

"You have a daughter?" Lucy asked, brightening at the fact that she might have someone her age to talk to.

"We did," Julia said softly, staring at her hands. "She was kidnapped as an infant and we haven't seen her since. My precious Helene…"

Harold walked to his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders. He choked, "We looked everywhere for her, but never found her. Every year on her birthday, we send out thousands of flying lanterns in the hope that she will see them and return to us."

Lucy and Peter didn't know what to say.

"Well," Julia said with a false smile, "Why don't we let you clean up before supper?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Lucy said.

"We'll show you to your chambers," Julia said. Lucy followed the Queen and Peter followed the King into different halls in the East Wing of the castle. "Here you are, dear," Queen Julia said to Queen Lucy. "I see all your things have been placed in here. Supper is in one hour, and don't hesitate to ask if you need help with anything or need something."

"Thank you," Lucy smiled.

Queen Julia walked out of the room, closing the double doors, and leaving Lucy alone in the vast chamber. It was nice, but not as comfortable and cozy and familiar as her bedchamber at Cair Paravel. Lucy walked to the window. The view overlooked the town and the woods in the distance. She saw that there was a door across the room that led out onto a balcony, but Lucy didn't want to go outside just yet.

She walked over to the bags that had been placed on the large bed. Lucy dug through the bags, finding a dress that was suitable for dinner with Queen Julia and King Harold. The one she chose was a deep red with gold threading and ribbon along the edges and along the sleeves. Lucy laid it out on the bed and found the bathroom that was attached to the bathroom.

Lucy found that Corona had running water. It reminded her of England, whereas in Narnia, the tubs had to be filled by hand. Lucy quickly filled the tub and slipped in. She washed her body and her hair, and then climbed out and dried off. There was a white robe on a chair next to the tub, so she wrapped that around herself and walked back into the bedroom. Lucy wrapped her hair in the towel, like she had seen Susan do so many times before, and then put the maroon dress on. Once she was dressed, Lucy slid on her gold slippers and took her hair out of the towel.

She walked onto the balcony and watched the people below, allowing the wind and the warm, summer air dry her hair for her. Lucy knew that the people of Corona were kind. She hoped that there would be some way for King Harold and Queen Julia to get their daughter back.

There was a knock on the bedroom door. Lucy turned and walked back inside to answer it. "Hello?" she asked.

Standing outside the door was a very pretty girl with long, dark brown hair and tan skin. "I am Hadassah, your majesty," the girl said with a curtsy. "Queen Julia sent me here to see if you needed anything."

"Oh, do come in!" Lucy said. "No, I don't need anything, thank you. You are welcome to stay if you like. Unless there's something else you need to do."

"I don't think so," Hadassah said. Her green dress flowed behind her as she walked. "I'm going to be helping you while you are in Corona."

"Oh, how nice!" Lucy exclaimed with a smile. "How old are you, Hadassah?"

"Eighteen," Hadassah answered. "And you, your majesty?"

"Sixteen. I have a brother who is your age. And you don't have to call me 'your majesty' or 'your highness', unless we're in public, I suppose. You can just call me Lucy."

"Alright…Lucy," Hadassah said with a soft smile.

Lucy beamed. She had a friend in Corona! "Well, I suppose I should write a letter to my brother and sister telling them that we arrived. You are welcome to stay, if you like."

"I should probably be going. I'll come back later, Lucy."

"Goodbye, Hadassah!" Lucy said, and then sat at the desk in the room. On it were quills, ink, and sheets of parchment. She picked up a peacock quill and began to write.

* * *

The weeks passed slowly for Susan and Edmund. They were worried about Peter and Lucy. Surely they should have heard something by now! Their emotions grew more frantic as each day progressed, especially when Lillian arrived back, saying how they came across a girl and a woman and she was supposed to follow them, but lost them in the forest. Susan wasn't upset with Lillian, just frustrated that Peter and Lucy hadn't sent any word.

Edmund was the first to read the letter, once it arrived. Peter and Lucy had been gone for more than six weeks when it arrived. He read the letter and immediately took it to Susan, who was sitting in the throne room. "Are they alright?" Susan asked her brother.

"Of course!" he answered. "Just read the letter and find out for yourself!"

_Dear Ed and Su,_

_Things are going splendidly! We arrived three days ago and were welcomed with open arms! Well, open arms and a few stares and crying babies and such. You get the idea. Apparently, there aren't any centaurs or fauns or any creatures other than humans in Corona! It's actually quite odd being around only humans after having no human company other than you two and Peter._

_Peter has been extremely busy. He's been negotiating an alliance with King Harold, and discussing trading and construction of roads and town between here and Narnia to make traveling easier. The people of Corona want to be friends with us! I completely understand why they wouldn't want to be friends with Calormen or Archenland. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Archenland, other than King Lune can be somewhat annoying at times. Not to mention that pest, Corin. Erg. Have you heard from him? I think I finally got him to stop writing me letters every day! But I digress._

_King Harold and Queen Julia are very, very kind people. They are just like parents to me and Peter, which mostly annoys our brother, I think. Oh, and I have a friend here! I met her just before I began writing this! Her name is Hadassah and she's a servant, but she's so nice! You both would like her, I think. Things are so busy around here. That's why it's taking me three days to write this letter!_

_I'm learning so much about King Harold, Queen Julia, and Corona from Hadassah. She is so sweet! Anyway, Queen Julia (and Hadassah) told me that they had a daughter (who should be eighteen now), but she was kidnapped as a baby and they haven't seen her since. They send off lanterns every year on her birthday, hoping that she will see them, know that they're meant for her, and come home. Her name was Helene. I think it's a pretty name. Of course, I've always loved that name because it's Mum's name! Funny how I just remembered that._

_I hope things are well in Narnia. Please tell Mr. Tumnus that I say hello, and tell the same to the Beavers, as well as all of our other friends. Peter sends his love, I'm sure._

_Love Always,_

_Lucy_

"Well, at least we know she's safe!" Edmund said as soon as Susan looked up.

"Yes, for the time being," Susan said.

"Oh, come on, Susan! Stop worrying!" Edmund exclaimed. "They're fine and you know it."

Susan opened her mouth to say something else when the double doors in the back of the room opened and Oreius walked in. "Your majesties! There is a girl here who says that she must speak with you immediately!"

"Send her in, General," King Edmund called.

Oreius stepped aside and in walked a skinny girl. As she walked nervously toward the thrones, both Edmund and Susan noticed that she had the longest blonde hair and biggest green eyes that they had ever seen on anybody. Susan's heart broke at the sight of the girl wiping tears from her eyes. Edmund thought to himself, _She's really pretty…_

"Who are you?" Susan asked.


	5. Rapunzel Breaks a Promise

**Hooray for things getting more interesting in this chapter! And hooray for me for updating! :) And I promise, you'll still get an update tomorrow! :) Even though school starts back. :(**

**Sorry for a lack of Eugene recently. He'll be back soon, I promise. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled or Narnia, even though my friend and I went to Narnia yesterday and I was crowned a Queen of Narnia because I fell in love with Edmund and my friend fell in love with Caspian. So now I'm Queen. Ha. :)**

_Chapter V – Rapunzel Breaks a Promise_

Rapunzel's eyes flickered open from her uneasy sleep. She and Gothel had been living in this cave for at least three weeks. Gothel had left the day before to go get food and water and other necessities from a nearby town. Rapunzel knew that she would be gone for at least two days because Gothel had made the trip before. It was a little less than a day there, and a little less than a day back. The only thing keeping Rapunzel in the cave was her promise that she wouldn't run away.

"Oh, my," Rapunzel said to herself. "I had the strangest dream." She was speaking out loud to herself, carefully testing her voice. She struggled to remember the dream. "I was in this forest and I was running as fast as I could. Then, a deep voice said, 'Fear not, child, for I am with you.' It was the same voice that I've heard before…And then a great Lion appeared. He frightened me, but then I felt safe and warm. The Lion told me that I needed to leave Gothel and go to where I truly belong."

If Pascal had been here, Rapunzel knew that he would give her a look that said, "No, duh. I've only been telling you this for the last six weeks."

"Oh, I should, Pascal," she said to the non-existent Pascal. "I've never broken a promise before…but I know that I can't keep this or I could die and I would never see Eugene again!" She was silent for a few moments, thinking. "I guess that's it then. I'm leaving."

Rapunzel quickly gathered her hair. She took another deep breath as she mentally prepared herself to break a promise for the first time. And then Rapunzel took off. Branches and pebbles scratched the soles of her bare feet, but she didn't care. Rapunzel ran and ran and ran.

After what seemed like, and probably was, hours of running, Rapunzel reached the edge of the forest. In front of her lay a field, a river, and on the other side of a drawbridge, a small village and a path leading to a huge, gleaming, white palace. She couldn't help but notice that the layout was somewhat similar to the village and castle in Corona.

Rapunzel ran into the village, looking for anyone who might help her. She didn't even know where she was. The town was not unlike the town she had visited with Eugene, except this one seemed less festive and less lively.

She looked around frantically until she saw a kind-looking man coming out of a book shop. He had curly, light brown hair and was wearing no shirt, but was wearing a red scarf. As Rapunzel approached the man, she noticed that he was not human at all—he had small horns coming out of his head, and goat legs, and hooves for feet!

"Excuse me, sir," she said, trying not to drop all of her hair. "I need some help."

"Oh, my," he said, "You have quite a lot of hair."

"I'm Rapunzel," she said. "I was kidnapped and I don't know where I am, and—"

He interrupted her, saying, "You're a Daughter of Eve! How did you get to Narnia?"

"I was kidnapped," Rapunzel repeated. "I must speak with someone so I can find my way home."

"I shall take you to Cair Paravel, where you will be able to see King Edmund or Queen Susan. King Peter and Queen Lucy are gone, you see. By the way, my name is Tumnus."

"Thank you, Mr. Tumnus," Rapunzel said, wiping the tears from her eyes. The two walked through the town and then walked along the path and through an orchard to the beautiful castle. When they passed some guards, Mr. Tumnus merely said, "She's with me," and on they went.

A few minutes passed as they walked through the castle before Mr. Tumnus said, "I must leave you here because I have errands to run, but this centaur, General Oreius, will take you to King Edmund or Queen Susan. I hope to see you again, Rapunzel."

"And you, Mr. Tumnus," Rapunzel said. She was nervous because of the centaur, but followed him nonetheless. Eventually, they reached two double doors that led into the throne room.

Oreius opened the doors and Rapunzel looked through to see a majestic chamber with four white thrones upon a marble dais. "It seems that both King Edmund and Queen Susan are here today." He entered the room and loudly, called, "Your majesties! There is a girl here who says that she must speak with you immediately!"

"Send her in, General," King Edmund called.

Oreius stepped aside and said, "Good luck," as Rapunzel walked into the throne room and down the aisle toward the four thrones. She allowed her hair to trail behind her because, frankly, her arms were tired of carrying the weight of seventy feet of hair.

"Who are you?" the Queen asked. Rapunzel studied the Queen and the King. Both were pale with very dark brown hair. The Queen had striking blue eyes and the King's were grey. They both looked regal, majestic, and commanding, but had a twinkle of cunning and adventure in their eyes.

"I am Rapunzel," she said bravely. "I was kidnapped by an old woman as a baby and locked in a tower for eighteen years. Fortunately, I was rescued by Flynn Rider, well, his real name is Eugene, but—"

"Wait," Queen Susan interrupted, "Flynn Rider? As in the thief Flynn Rider?"

"You know him?" both young women asked at the same time.

"Yes," Queen Susan answered. "I would love to wring his neck with my bare hands, right now, if I could."

"So would everybody else in the world, I think. Except for me. And Pascal. No, including Pascal. They don't like each other very much…How do you know him?"

King Edmund laughed and said, "That's another story. Continue please."

"Well, Eugene rescued me and took me to see the floating lanterns, but Moth—Gothel found us, took me home and had Eugene arrested. Eugene escaped and came to save me. Gothel stabbed him fatally, but I convinced her to allow me to save him if I promised to never run away again. Of course, I had to break that promise, but it took a lot of courage and heart…"

"How did you save him?" King Edmund asked.

"I have magic hair that glows when I sing," Rapunzel said simply. "I'll show you." She closed her eyes and began to sing, "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine…Heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine…what once was mine…" As she sang, Edmund and Susan gasped at the sight of the golden hair glowing iridescently.

"Wow," both monarchs exclaimed.

"But I forgot the most important part," Rapunzel explained. "I'm the lost princess of Corona."

Edmund and Susan were shocked. They nervously exchanged a glance. Susan looked down at the letter that rested in her lap. _She was kidnapped as a baby and they haven't seen her since…Her name was Helene._

"High King Peter and Queen Lucy are in Corona right now," Queen Susan said. "How do you know?"

"I didn't know until I left my tower, but I have vague memories of my real parents and the nursery in the castle."

"We will have to write to Pete and Lu immediately," Edmund said to Susan.

"You do that while I take Rapunzel to wash, change, and get something to eat. And send a servant to fill the tub in the room two from mine with warm water." She stood, as did Edmund, and approached Rapunzel. Edmund left via a side door, but Susan smiled at Rapunzel and said, "Come, we will take care of—oh, my." Susan had just noticed the hair. "I didn't realize it was _that_ long…"

"I get that a lot," Rapunzel said, smiling. "It used to creep me out, but now I'm just used to it, I guess."

"If that's fine with you," Susan said. They walked through the grand corridors, with Susan pointing out pieces of architecture and art and tapestries and such. Rapunzel just wanted to know how she wasn't getting lost. "Do you have any siblings, Princess Helene?"

Rapunzel stared at Queen Susan. "My name's Rapunzel."

"But I thought the lost princess' name was Helene."

"It may be, but I am Rapunzel. I'm sorry, but that's my name."

Susan looked taken aback, but quickly recovered and said, "I apologize, Princess Rapunzel. Again, do you have any siblings?"

"No," Rapunzel said. "And, I'm sorry again, but could you please not call me 'Princess' unless you have to? I'm just not used to it, and I don't really want the title just yet."

"If that's how you feel, Rapunzel," Susan said. "And you can just call me Susan unless we're surrounded by people other than my family and our friends."

"Thank you, Susan," Rapunzel said softly.

"I'll take you to a spare bedroom that's near mine. It's a little small, but—"

"Trust me," Rapunzel said, "Nothing is too small if you've been trapped in a tower your entire life."

Susan laughed along with Rapunzel, but Rapunzel's first words made her think back to the conversation she had with Aslan weeks before. "Trust me," he had said. Aslan had spoken of dark forces. Rapunzel could not be part of them could she? In her heart, Susan felt that she could trust Rapunzel. It seemed like the blonde was so fragile!

"Here we are," Susan said as they approached a large door. She turned the handle and pushed the door open. "My room is two doors down, but this will be yours. I don't think it's been used in centuries, but it's cleaned regularly. Why don't you wash while I go get some clothes out of my room and Lucy's room? I'm not sure which might fit better. Lucy's almost as tall as me and you seem a little shorter…I'll be right back."

Rapunzel found another door into the bathroom. There was already water in the tub, so Rapunzel went behind the changing screen and took off her dress. She had been wearing it for so long! Rapunzel slid into the warm water and grabbed the soap. She began scrubbing her body to get six weeks' worth of dirt and grime off. Then Rapunzel turned to her hair. She had seen a brush in the bedroom, so she had brought it into the bathroom with her. Rapunzel brushed through her hair as she washed it. It took forever and a day. These were the times when Rapunzel wished she had _no_ hair, or at least less of it than she did.

"Rapunzel?" Susan's voice called. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the tub," Rapunzel called back.

"Still?"

"Well, I _do _have seventy feet of hair to wash."

"Oh, right. I'd forgotten. Well, I'll be out here waiting when you're finished."

Rapunzel hurried and washed her hair as fast as she could, but still thoroughly. After all, she hadn't taken a bath in six weeks, unless swimming in a couple of rivers counts. She finished in about twenty minutes, and then pulled herself out of the tub. Her hair was so heavy when it was wet! Rapunzel dried herself off with a towel and then wrapped herself in a robe. She attempted to wring her hair out over the tub, but still got water all over the cold, marble floor.

Rapunzel tried drying her hair in a towel some more, but her hair was still wet when she finished. Giving up with a sigh, Rapunzel walked back into the bedroom, allowing her hair to trail behind her. "Oh, dear," Susan said. "Why don't I braid your hair for you? It might make it a little easier to move around."

"Some little girls did that for me once. It made a big difference," Rapunzel said. "But there were four of them and only one of you. Will you be able to do it?"

"Of course," Susan replied. "I'm probably the best at braiding hair in all of Narnia." Susan got to work immediately, allowing Rapunzel to sit cross-legged on the bed with her back facing the edge so her hair could fall onto the floor without hitting the edge. The girls made small talk as Susan worked at braiding some of the hair into little braids. "So how old are you, Rapunzel?"

"My eighteenth birthday was a few weeks ago. And you?"

"I'm twenty. My older brother, High King Peter, is twenty-one, Edmund is eighteen, and Lucy is sixteen." Susan was slowly trying to pull all the hair into a braid that wouldn't hit the floor.

"If you don't mind me asking," said Rapunzel, "how did you meet Eugene, I mean, Flynn Rider?"

"Oh," Susan laughed. "It's a long story, but I suppose we have time. Lucy and Peter were in Tashbaan visiting the Tisroc and Prince Rabadash, and Edmund was visiting the giants up in Harfang. I was left here to take care of business in Narnia. I don't like to travel much, you see. Well, this man came to the castle and said that he was Lord Flynn Rider of the Trollicking Islands. I had never heard of these islands, and they weren't in any books, so I believed him. Since he claimed to be a lord, I didn't even have any problems allowing him to stay in the palace. When Edmund came home, things changed—" There was a knock on the door, and Susan called, "Just a minute! I'll have to finish telling you tonight. I'll come in after dinner and we can talk. Just a minute! There. I've finished. Pick a dress and put it on."

Susan walked to the door and saw Edmund standing there. "Can I come in?" he asked.

The Gentle Queen turned around to look at Rapunzel, who had gotten up and was twirling around, enjoying the freedom her ankle-length hair allowed her. "Princess Rapunzel isn't decent." Susan stepped out into the hall and shut the door. "Yes?"

"I was just wondering how things were going."

"They're well. We'll see you at dinner."

"But—"

"Goodbye, Edmund," Susan said and then walked inside.

"Who was it?" Rapunzel asked.

"My brother, King Edmund. He was checking up on you," Susan said disdainfully. It would seem that Edmund was beginning to like Rapunzel, and even though Susan knew, Edmund probably didn't.


	6. The Tales of Flynn Rider

**Yay! The return of Flynn/Eugene! And I was surprised by the lack of surprised readers in the last chapter. Hopefully this one will shock you some more...I hope. At least, that was my intention: to shock you! But please don't be angry with me! This was so easy to write! And, uh...kind of fun too!**

**Disclaimer: As Queen of Narnia, I demand the rights to-what do you mean I can't? Fine, I don't own Tangled or Narnia or anything else I may reference (the end of this might be a little Pirates of the Caribbean-esque). Poop. **

_Chapter VI – The Tales of Flynn Rider_

Flynn Rider, Maximus, and Pascal raced through the woods as the sun set. They had gone into a large city called Anvard and heard that they were in a land called Archenland. None of them knew where to start looking for Rapunzel. Flynn didn't let on to the others, but he knew exactly where they were. He even had a map of Archenland, Narnia, and Calormen.

Maximus also knew where they were. While he had never been outside of Corona, he had heard of Archenland and Anvard before.

The three left Anvard a few hours before to head north to Narnia. Flynn knew that there were probably Wanted posters everywhere with his face on them. Probably with the wrong nose, too. He was wanted everywhere it seemed! Even though he stole the crown and escaped from prison in Corona, he was probably wanted more in Narnia for what he did to that Queen…what was her name? Oh yeah. Susan. Queen Susan the Gentle. She had been so nice, too…

Flynn _really _didn't want to go back to Narnia. He really, _really _didn't want to go to Narnia. He was sure to get caught and then he would probably be beheaded and then he would never find Rapunzel. There was no way that he could _not_ find Rapunzel. He cared so much for her.

Flynn knew he was screwed. Maximus would naturally go straight to the nearest guard or soldier and get them all captured. It was in Max's nature. _Why do I have to be stuck with such a law-abiding citizen?_ Flynn asked himself. _I just want to find Rapunzel and go home!_

Eugene Fitzherbert just wanted an easy life. There was no way that Flynn Rider was going to allow that. He had worked too hard to—Eugene realized how idiotic he was being by arguing with himself while he should be thinking of where to start looking for Rapunzel!

The truth was that Eugene Fitzherbert had absolutely no idea where Rapunzel would be. It was not as if there were a lot of open spaces in Narnia! They may not even be in Narnia! Gothel may have taken Rapunzel south to Archenland or Calormen, or north to Ettinsmoor or Harfang, or east to the Lone Islands or beyond. There were just too many places to look, and Max had lost the trail a week ago.

Eugene took a deep breath. It might take weeks, months, years, or _decades_, but he would find Rapunzel if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

Rapunzel messed with her skirts as she walked back to her room after dinner. She hated these dresses that Susan had given her. Rapunzel thought they were the most beautiful dresses in the world, and they were easy to move in, but they were so long! She hated feeling her skirts dragging the floor. She liked dresses that were above her ankles, but not too high. Rapunzel missed the purple and pink dress she had come to Narnia in.

But most of all, Rapunzel hated the shoes. She had never had to wear them in her tower, and even when she went to the castle and village of Corona, she didn't wear shoes. But apparently, royalty wears shoes. So Rapunzel was stuck in a pair of lavender flats that matched the purple bodice and skirt, and blue under dress she was wearing.

Rapunzel briskly walked back to her room, remember the way that Susan had told her. _Left, right, right, left, one, two, three._ She walked into her room and saw that the lanterns were lit and the bed already turned down, with a nightgown lying on the bed. She changed into the simple chemise and sat on the bed, not knowing what to do. Susan had said that she would come by later, but Rapunzel didn't know when that would be.

The lost princess of Corona slid her bare feet under the cool covers and pulled the thick blankets up to her waist. She leaned back against the pillows so she was sitting against the headboard. Rapunzel didn't know what to do, so she merely stared at the wall until she heard the door open.

"Rapunzel?" Susan's accented voice called.

"Come in!" Rapunzel answered.

Susan bounded in and climbed up on the bed. "I suppose I should tell you about Flynn Rider now, shouldn't I?"

"Yes, finish telling me the story!" Rapunzel said, as eager as she was as a young girl when Gothel would tell her fairytales (which usually ended up with the girl living with her mother for her entire life and shunning all men).

"Well, as I was saying," Susan said, "Edmund came home to me sitting in the gardens with Flynn Rider. As you can imagine, he was intrigued…"

* * *

_Queen Susan and Flynn Rider sat on a bench in the gardens. The moonlight flooded down upon them as they sat a little closer together than friends should. However, no one was watching, and Susan was Queen, so who would care, really? "I really love this fountain," Flynn said._

_"That's so completely off topic!" Susan laughed._

_"Was it? I wasn't paying attention in the first place," he said. "I was paying attention to your eyes."_

_"I don't know if I should be flattered or slightly disturbed," Susan laughed again._

_"Definitely flattered."_

_"I was thinking disturbed."_

_"Well, you thought wrong," Flynn said. He looked down, and when he raised his head, the most ridiculous look Susan had ever seen was on his face._

_"What in Aslan's name is _that_?" she asked._

_"The smolder," he said, not dropping the expression._

_"It's frightening."_

_"And you're a liar," he continued. After Susan burst out laughing and almost fell off the bench, Flynn dropped the smolder. "It always works on women."_

_"So you've used it before?" Susan asked between spasms of laughter._

_"Yes," he said, "but on none that really mattered." Susan blushed and he continued, "You know that I really care for you, Queen Susan."_

_"Oh, none of that Queen nonsense," Susan said. She realized that his face was becoming closer to hers and realized what he was about to do. Susan felt him place his hand around the back of her neck, snaking his fingers into her hair. As soon as she placed her hand her hand on his cheek, she closed her eyes and felt his lips press against hers. They stayed like that for a moment, and then broke apart. Susan blushed, but Flynn leaned in again to a willing Susan. This time, Susan got over the shock of his lips against hers more quickly and responded. Flynn deepened the kiss and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Susan placed her other hand on his other cheek so she was holding his face in her hands. Soon, they were kissing passionately, more passionately than was appropriate for the Queen of Narnia._

_They were interrupted by an awkward cough. Susan and Flynn pulled apart, jumping about three feet away from each other. Susan thought she was going to pass out when she saw who had come across them. It was Edmund._

_Flynn looked as if he was thrilled that Edmund had found them._

_"Well, that wasn't the homecoming I'd expected," Edmund said, smirking._

_"Welcome home, Edmund," Susan said, her voice shaking. "How was your trip?"_

_"It was good, but not as entertaining as this."_

_"How long were you watching?" Susan asked, blushing with her face angled down to the ground._

_"A while," Edmund answered ambiguously. Susan knew that he had been there longer than she would have liked. "Well, I don't know who you are. I'm King Edmund the Just." Susan knew that Ed was adding his full title to intimidate Flynn._

_It didn't work. "I'm Lord Flynn Rider of the Trollicking Islands."_

_"The Trollicking Islands?" Edmund asked. "I've never heard of them."_

_"They're down to the east of Calormen, about three months away from here by sea."_

_"I'll have to visit them some day. I love going out to sea," Edmund said._

_"You should come. They're lovely in winter. Dreadfully hot in the summer, but it comes with the territory, as they are close to Calormen and its arid climate."_

_Edmund knew that he was not going to win this battle of banter. Try as he might, this Lord Flynn Rider was too good. The best Edmund could hope for was a draw or a surrender from Rider. However, he knew that a surrender wasn't going to happen. Edmund immediately turned the conversation around. "So how long have you two been involved?"_

_"Uh," was all Susan could say._

_Flynn, however, was used to this sort of thing. "A while," he said._

_Edmund knew that he was either going to really like this guy or really hate this guy. There was clearly no middle ground where Flynn Rider was concerned._

* * *

_One night, Susan woke up and felt the desire to go practice with her bow and arrow. She didn't know why, but had these feelings a few times a week. Susan immediately got out of bed and dressed. The moonlight shone the way through the castle and out into the orchard. Susan went down into the treasure chamber and grabbed her bow, quiver of arrows, and horn. She didn't ever feel complete without her three gifts from Father Christmas._

_Susan lifted her bow and put an arrow to the string. She aimed at an apple, pulled back, and released the arrow. Her shot was perfect. Susan went to find the apple and arrow, but it was nowhere in sight. She searched for the longest time, combing over every area in the orchard. Eventually, Susan looked up into the tree and saw Flynn sitting on a branch, eating an apple with her arrow in his hand._

_The Gentle Queen frowned and said, "Will you give me my arrow please?"_

_"I don't think I will," Flynn answered playfully._

_"Why are you out here?" Susan asked._

_"I could ask you the same thing. Couldn't sleep?" Susan shook her head. "Me neither." Flynn jumped down to the ground and handed Susan the arrow. She placed it in her quiver with her other arrows and smiled._

_"Thank you," she said to him._

_"You're welcome." Flynn dropped the apple core to the ground and walked to Susan. He wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling him up against him, and gripped the back of her neck with his other hand. She wrapped her arm around his waist and cupped his cheek with her hand. Flynn leaned down and eagerly pressed his lips to hers. She responded immediately. After all, they had kissed many times since Edmund walked in on them two weeks ago. However, this kiss was immediately deepened and became more passionate than before, awakening emotions within Susan that she didn't know she had. Susan allowed her bow and arrows to fall to the ground from where Flynn had pulled them off._

_She didn't even notice when Flynn took her hands in his and sat her down on a bench next to an iron gate. She didn't even notice until she heard the click of the shackles and felt the cool metal on her wrist and heard it cling against the gate. Susan immediately pulled away from him and looked down. She was chained to an iron gate!_

_Susan was struck dumb as she saw Flynn pick up her bow and quiver of arrows. As she watched him walk toward the exit of the orchard, she managed to say, "But, Flynn…"_

_"Sorry, Susan," Flynn said, turning back to her. "I'm not really a lord of the Trollicking Islands. They don't even exist. I'm sorry that I had to use you in order to get these things. I'm no better than a common thief because that's what I am. Goodbye, Susan."_

_She wasn't able to say anything as she saw him leave the garden._

_When Edmund found her the next morning, Susan still wasn't able to say anything. It had taken hours for her to tell Edmund what happened. Susan felt betrayed and knew that if she ever saw Flynn Rider again, she would kill him._

_Not because he had betrayed her, which she was absolutely livid about, but because he had stolen her gifts from Father Christmas, which were ultimately from Aslan. He had stolen pieces of her._

_Susan and Edmund had posted Wanted posters all over Narnia, spreading the word that Flynn Rider was wanted dead or alive. Peter and Lucy had returned a few weeks later, and helped the search for Flynn Rider, but to no avail. Flynn Rider went missing, probably out of Narnia and to Calormen. The Archenlanders were also helping look, but they did not find Rider. The thief went missing, but he must have had a change of heart because a year after Flynn Rider left Queen Susan the Gentle chained to a gate, the bow and quiver of arrows were left at the lamp post and found by Mr. Tumnus._

_The faun returned the gifts to Queen Susan, who was angry that Flynn Rider remained at large, but thankful that the pieces of her had returned. However, Susan vowed never to allow herself to fall that much for someone because it would only lead to bad things and dangerous consequences._

* * *

Susan and Rapunzel were silent for a long time after Susan finished her tale. Susan was reflecting on her choices and was trying to keep her emotions in check, as a Queen should. Rapunzel was in shock at how Eugene had acted. _He wasn't Eugene_, she reminded herself. _He was Flynn Rider. Flynn Rider and Eugene Fitzherbert were two completely different people—But were they?_ A nasty voice in her head corrected her._ What if Eugene Fitzherbert doesn't exist anymore? What if he was just using you like he used Susan? He may have really just wanted your hair!—But he told me that he didn't want my hair! He saved me! He was in prison and he broke out and—He didn't save you, silly girl! He _tried _to save you, but really, you saved him. Gothel stabbed him, remember? And then you healed him and were dragged off to Narnia by your hair. Literally._

Rapunzel was tired of arguing with herself. She knew that Eugene just had to love her. He just _had_ to. He had to come and find her. Surely…surely he was on his way now, thinking that she was still in Gothel's clutches! But if Susan wanted him dead, then he wouldn't come to Narnia! He would be killed by coming here! And to Archenland, too!

Tears filled Rapunzel's eyes as she felt her heart break. He wouldn't come back to Narnia. It was too dangerous for him here. Rapunzel wouldn't ever see Eugene Fitzherbert again.


	7. What Lucy Saw and What Edmund Found

**Oh, I love this chapter! It was so much fun to write and starts a whole new section of the story! :)**

**Disclaimer: If I really owned Tangled or Narnia I wouldn't be here. Nuff said. However, if I owned Flynn/Eugene or Edmund...I wouldn't be here either. I would be off with them. :)**

**Thanks for your reviews! Please enjoy this chapter and review! I'll try and update sometime this weekend.**

_Chapter VII – What Lucy Saw and What Edmund Found_

_Dear Lucy,_

_You won't believe our luck! Oh, and this is Ed by the way. Anyway, a girl has come to Cair Paravel! Her name is Rapunzel and she is from Corona! She was kidnapped as a baby and locked in a tower for eighteen years, never cutting her hair. It's about seventy feet long, give or take. Oh, yeah, she's my age. And she's the lost princess of Corona! Susan says she knows Flynn Rider, except Rapunzel is convinced that his name is Eugene Fitzherbert. She came to us the same day we got your last letter, which was yesterday. I can't believe that the lost princess of Corona has come to Cair Paravel! I think that Susan and I might bring her to you. We discussed that at dinner last night after Rapunzel left. Rapunzel needs to be with her parents, especially if they miss her._

_How is Corona? We miss you here. Your friend, Hadassah, seems interesting. If she's so nice to you, you could bring her to Narnia for vacation. Now, I must warn you, there have been four letters delivered to you, all from Archenland. I don't think you were so successful at getting Prince Corin to stop trying to contact you. But I wouldn't worry. I wrote him a letter saying how you were now engaged to a man in Corona whom you've fallen madly in love with. Don't worry, I'm just teasing. But I did write him a letter saying that you were gone from Cair Paravel and wouldn't be back for a year or so (which I hope is untrue). Susan and I really hope that you and Peter will be home for Christmas! And by 'home for Christmas', I mean home as soon as possible. But I suppose you would have to leave now to get home in time if it took you three weeks to get to Corona._

_And regarding falling madly in love, you absolutely cannot find some Coronan (?) man that you want to marry. It's not right. You're only sixteen! I will put my foot down. (Especially if you marry before me or Susan or Peter!) Susan is stressing, I think. I think she doesn't want to end up an old maid. Not that she doesn't have men practically throwing themselves at her. After the whole Flynn Rider incident, she has turned away every man. Why am I even writing about this? This letter is to you! Not for me to vent! But I digress._

_Well, I must say, I do hope that you and Peter get sick of Corona and decide to come home early. Cair Paravel is very lonely without you two. While Susan is great company (and so is Rapunzel, I guess), I miss sparring with Peter and teasing you. (Which there will be a lot of when you get back, I promise). I suppose that this letter is long enough, and I need to send it so it can reach you within the next three weeks. I expect a letter in return. And tell Peter that it wouldn't hurt to write to us every once in a while! We haven't seen you in six weeks (which will be nine by the time you get this and twelve when you write back—and that will be Christmas!)_

_Love,_

_Edmund_

_P.S. Susan sends her love._

_P.P.S. Rapunzel says hello._

_P.P.P.S. Is it even right to include this many postscripts?—Anyway, tell Peter that there was another attack, up in the Western Woods. No one was hurt but we didn't catch who it was, either. I only received word this morning, and I didn't tell Susan so she wouldn't worry, but make sure Peter knows. I don't think there were giants involved. I honestly don't know who is attacking us. Anyway, love, Edmund._

Lucy put down the letter from Edmund. This Rapunzel girl was the lost princess of Corona. The lost princess. Lucy knew that she should tell King Harold and Queen Julia that their daughter was in Narnia, but she didn't know how they would react. Most likely, they would want their baby girl back, not some teenager who had seventy feet of hair! But in her heart, Lucy knew that they would accept their daughter with open arms.

The bedroom door opened. Hadassah walked in and said, "Hello, Lucy."

"Hi, Hadassah!" Lucy exclaimed. "I have a few questions to ask you."

"Alright," she said. Queen Julia had told Lucy that Hadassah was one of the most trusted servants in the palace. Julia thought of the orphan, Hadassah, as a surrogate daughter because of the missing princess.

Lucy brushed her hair as she asked, "How do Queen Julia and King Harold feel about their daughter?"

"They miss her very, very much," Hadassah said.

"What about the people of Corona?"

"She's like an idol to them. Everyone wants her home, safe and sound."

"Why?" Lucy asked, not liking the idea of idols.

"I think it's the whole concept of the princess being kidnapped and no one knowing what happened to her."

"What would happen if she came back?"

Hadassah thought for a moment. "I suppose there would be a huge celebration, and then things would go back to normal."

Lucy considered the servant girl's words as she pulled her hair back with a pink ribbon. "Do you think that the lost princess will come back?"

"Honestly? No. I think that she is probably dead. Don't tell anybody I said that, but I don't think it's very likely that she is still alive."

Lucy thought that Hadassah was probably right, but then she remembered that the princess was, indeed, alive. And she was in Narnia. Lucy wondered if she should tell Hadassah…no. Lucy trusted Hadassah, but she felt that King Harold and Queen Julia should be the first to know that their daughter was alive and well. "I think I'm going to get some food," Lucy said. "I can just go into the kitchen, right?"

"Yes, Lucy," Hadassah said. "You can go through the dining hall to get there. It might be locked, but that's the easiest way to get there. If the door is locked, just come and find me and I'll take you the back way."

"Thanks, Hadassah," Lucy said, getting up and hugging her friend. Lucy's stomach rumbled. "Apparently, my stomach says 'thank you' as well." The girls laughed as they left the room.

Lucy turned left toward the dining hall and Hadassah turned right to go check on Queen Julia, who was supposed to be taking a nap. Lucy followed the long progression of hallways that she had memorized weeks ago. She knew where everything in the castle was. By now, Lucy even knew her way through the village outside. On one of her first days in Corona, she had gone to explore the city and a few little girls had showed her around. Those little girls had almost died of excitement when they found out that she was a queen. Lucy was _only_ a few years older than them!

The Valiant Queen took her time walking through the halls, admiring the art and tapestries and busts and suits of armor. She passed an open window and paused to look out. She could see the forest in the distance and the sun beyond that. Lucy liked to think that she could see the mountains of Archenland and Narnia, and perhaps the deserts of Calormen, and even the great Eastern Sea, but she knew that all of this was her imagination. Really, she could only see forests and people.

After a few minutes, Lucy continued on her way. It only took her about ten minutes to reach the dining hall. She turned the handle of the left of the double doors. Locked. Sighing, and stomach growling, Lucy tried the right. Unlocked. She smiled as she swung the door open. The room was deserted. Lucy inhaled deeply, smelling the wondrous scents of food wafting in the air toward her. She slipped into the room, closing the door behind her.

Lucy saw that there was a table on the far wall that had snack foods on it, probably for the purpose of hungry royals seeking out nourishment. Lucy approached the table and grabbed a napkin. She unfolded it to act like a sack she could store the food in and began to pile food on it. Rolls, an apple, a Danish, and a banana. She was about to grab some more food, when the she heard the door handle turn.

The Queen didn't know if she was allowed to be in here (which was rather silly; she was a _queen_ after all), so she looked for a place to hide. There was a wardrobe a few feet away (to keep the coats of the dinner guests in, Lucy figured). Smiling, Lucy gathered her food and ran to the wardrobe. She climbed inside and pulled the door behind her, not closing it all the way because she knew it was very foolish to shut oneself in a wardrobe. Lucy half expected there to be a snow-covered forest instead of a wooden wall in the back of the wardrobe, but there was nothing except the back of the wardrobe.

Since the door was open a crack, Lucy could see a little and hear well. She peeked out of the door and saw Peter enter. She almost climbed out, but stopped herself because following her brother was King Harold. They headed to the food table. Lucy realized that it was silly to be hiding because it _was_ allowed to eat the food, obviously, but then it would look like she had been eavesdropping or playing around, and Peter might be angry with her, so Lucy decided to stay put.

"So, as I was saying, King Harold," Peter said, "Narnia has been attacked several times over the last few months. We don't know who the attackers are, but we are trying to find out. I want to know if you would be willing to help us. Since we have already become formal allies, it would be nice, though not necessarily required."

"Corona would be glad to help her neighbor," King Harold said. Lucy was immediately bored. They were _still_ discussing trade and alliances? The men were silent as they took their food to the end of the table and sat down. Nothing was said for a few moments as they ate. "My wife would kill me if she knew that I was eating before supper." Peter laughed. "She's a stickler for eating three meals a day and then dessert." Both Kings laughed. "Now, tell me again, Peter. How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-one."

"And your other siblings?"

"Queen Susan is twenty, King Edmund is eighteen, and Queen Lucy is sixteen."

"I see," King Harold said, clearly thinking. Lucy could practically hear his brain whirring as he thought. She knew that she probably wouldn't like what he had to say. It was obvious that he had something devious in mind. Well, maybe not _devious_, but formal and had to do with the two countries. "Well, King Peter, you know that my daughter, Helene, turned eighteen about two months ago. I think that a marriage between my daughter and you would be nice, once we find her. While Helene and King Edmund are the same age, I don't know him and, frankly, I would love to have you in my family. You are a very kind and brave young man. What do you say?"

Lucy knew what Peter was going to say. "Well, King Harold, I think that your proposition is a good idea. However, there is one problem. I'm not trying to be rude, but we don't exactly know where your daughter is."

"True," Harold said. "But she is bound to return someday. And if you are still unmarried and wish to marry, would you wed my daughter?"

Peter thought about it. "Yes."

The men's conversation continued, returning back to politics, but Lucy wasn't paying attention. The Valiant Queen was in shock. Peter and Princess Helene—Rapunzel—were betrothed! Now, Lucy knew that she wasn't a very selfish person. She could be, but she wasn't normally. However, Lucy loved Peter with all her heart; she loved Peter more than Susan and Edmund, even though she loved her sister and other brother dearly. Peter and Lucy had always gotten along the best and everyone knew it. But this was just wrong. Lucy felt jealousy rise within her as she thought of her brother marrying and loving someone else more than her!

And so Lucy knew that she had to keep the news of Rapunzel being Princess Helene to herself.

* * *

Rapunzel walked out to the gardens. She looked around the gardens, searching for a fountain. There was only one. She sat on the bench opposite the fountain and stared at the falling water. Rapunzel felt her heart crumbling into pieces as she knew that this was where Susan and Flynn had been. This was their spot.

But Rapunzel felt comfort knowing that this was where Eugene been. He had sat here, on this bench. She just had to be somewhere that had a connection to him. And as she couldn't go back to Corona, this was the best she could do.

Rapunzel closed her eyes. She was back on the boat with Eugene, waiting for the lanterns. Rapunzel had been extremely excited and nervous then because of her feelings for Eugene. She didn't understand them at the time. Rapunzel remembered the feeling in her stomach when Eugene had taken her small, delicate hands in his large, calloused hands and held them there. Rapunzel felt herself hold her hands out, imagining them being held by Eugene's.

She remembered how the feeling had intensified as he had brushed some of her hair away from her eyes and slowly lowered his hand, trailing his fingertips down her neck and jaw. He had carefully placed his hand at the base of her neck and leaned in toward her, still holding her hand with his other hand. He tilted his head, and she followed his motions, since he obviously knew what he was doing. Rapunzel had closed her eyes and waited for his lips to press to hers.

But the kiss never came.

Rapunzel's eyes shot open, tears falling from her eyes as she looked at the fountain. Yes, Eugene Fitzherbert and Flynn Rider had experience. He had kissed Susan at this very spot. The tears fell faster. Rapunzel rested her elbows on her legs and put her face in her hand, sobbing as silently as she could. Did Eugene ever really care for her at all?

Rapunzel heard someone walk up to her, but she didn't look up or acknowledge them at all. She felt them sit down beside her and place their arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. It was a large arm, well, larger than hers. The arm was heavy, so Rapunzel knew that it must belong to a man.

Tears still streaming down her cheeks, Rapunzel looked up, half expecting to see Eugene's face. But it wasn't there. Instead, King Edmund sat beside Rapunzel. "Are you okay?" the King asked.

"No," Rapunzel sobbed. Before asking permission, Rapunzel threw her arms around Edmund and sobbed into his shoulder. Edmund wrapped his arms around the crying girl in a comforting embrace.

"What's wrong?" Edmund asked.

Rapunzel turned her head so she could speak, but didn't pull away. "I was just thinking about Eugene."

"Eugene? Oh, Flynn Rider. You know, I caught him and Su—"

"I know," Rapunzel snapped. "Susan told me."

"Oh," Edmund said, realizing that his words, meant to make her laugh, had caused her more anguish and heartbreak. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Rapunzel pulled out of his arms. She turned her face away from him and looked at the ground. "I just know that I'll never be able to see him again. And now I don't even know if he ever loved me. He was probably just using me for his own reasons."

"Did Susan tell you the whole story?" Edmund asked. Rapunzel nodded. "That idiot. She's still bitter about it, you know. She really cared about him. Susan probably wanted to make you doubt yourself and your feelings for Fly—Eugene."

"Well, it worked," Rapunzel said, crying again.

"Hey," Edmund said, taking one of Rapunzel's hands in his. "I'm sure that Eugene really did care about you. From what I've heard about him from you, he seemed different than when I knew him. And if he isn't different and really was using you, then he was missing out. You are a great person, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel bit her lower lip and said, "Thanks, King Edmund."

"Come on, I know that you don't call Susan 'Queen'. You don't like it when I call you 'Princess'. You can just call me Edmund. "

"Thanks, Edmund."

Edmund took Rapunzel in his arms again, and for the first time, noticed that there was a certain feeling in his stomach that was tugging at his heart.


	8. Conflicting Hearts

**This one is kind of short-ish...sorry 'bout that. Some of you are going to love this chapter, and some of you will probably hate this chapter. I almost put this chapter off until another point in the story, but after much consideration, I put it here. Please, please, please don't kill me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or Tangled or Eugene or Edmund. :'( I'm going to go cry in a corner now.**

**Please enjoy and review! :)**

_Chapter VIII – Conflicting Hearts_

High King Peter the Magnificent stood on the balcony adjacent to his room, admiring the view of the town. He knew that Christmas was fast approaching. There was nothing he wanted more than to be home with his siblings. Last year, Peter had been traveling at Christmas. He had not anticipated a snowstorm so bad that he could not get home, so he had been stuck somewhere between Anvard and Cair Paravel.

Peter mulled over his thoughts regarding the attacks on Narnia. Lucy had told him about the recent attacks right after he told her about his conversation with King Harold. Ugh. Why did he agree to marry a girl he had never even met? Well, at least she was probably dead. He would never have to go through with the agreement.

Suddenly, Peter felt the urge to write to his siblings. After all, they were probably very angry that he hadn't attempted to contact them. Of course, this was not the longest they had gone without contact, but they tried to write whenever possible.

Peter sat at the desk in his room with a sigh, and pulled out a sheet of parchment, quill, and some ink. Peter glanced out the window once more, and then turned to the parchment.

_Dear Su and Ed,_

_Sorry I haven't written. I have been incredibly busy. However, King Harold and I have established trading routes and have each signed a formal alliance with each other. King Harold has also agreed to help us find the source of the attacks upon Narnia. Lucy told me about the most recent attack. Please write if anything else happens. Unless I am needed here for much longer, Lu and I will be leaving for Cair Paravel within the week. We will be pressed for time, but hopefully, we will make it back to Cair Paravel before Christmas._

_There doesn't seem to be any snow here. I am assuming that Narnia is once again white. I guess it's too warm in Corona for the rain to freeze. It has been getting cooler, but not cold enough for snow. It's a pity. I bet most people in Corona don't even know what snow is. Of course, I will never appreciate snow like I did in England because of its associations with the White Witch. You don't think that some of her followers are behind the attacks, do you? It doesn't make much sense because I thought we eradicated all of her followers, but I suppose we may have missed some and they could have made a comeback, trying to take the throne back for their Queen. Well, too bad she's dead!_

_Lucy told me that you have a new friend at Cair Paravel. Does she really have seventy feet of hair? I assumed that was an exaggeration on Lucy's part, especially because she wouldn't let me see the letter that Edmund wrote. She was acting very suspicious at the time, so I can only assume that something was included in the letter that she didn't want me to see. Well, this Rapunzel girl seems to have made a good impression on Edmund, as Lucy said his letter made him seem very interested in her. Please, Edmund, do us all a favor and leave the poor girl alone. No one wants another angry mob of Archenland girls attacking her like they did to Corinne. I'm only teasing. We all know you weren't involved with Corinne… (cough, cough)._

_Well, I sincerely hope that you will write back to Lucy and me. Maybe in Susan's hand this time? I shall hope to see you by Christmas! And if not, then by New Year's! And if not by then, then I expect the entire Narnian army to form a search party for their beloved High King and adored Queen Lucy. Oh, Susan, don't get your knickers in a twist. I'm only teasing. (Except about the search party part. I really don't want to be killed by angry Calormenes.)_

_Your brother,_

_High King Peter_

_P.S. Lucy told me to tell you that she says hello to everybody, and that she wants Ed to know that postscripts are very appropriate, but maybe one shouldn't add a thousand. That's tiresome. (Her words, not mine.) –Peter_

Edmund laughed as he read Peter's letter. "You were right, Su, Peter must be bored to death if his letters are _this_ funny."

"Can I read it?" Rapunzel asked. Edmund handed her the letter. "He seems a bit…self-righteous."

"Oh, he's not," Susan said. "He just likes to tease us. As oldest brother, that is his job. Well, I'm going to go practice my archery. If you still want to learn, Rapunzel, you can come along."

"Oh, I will," the blonde said. "I'll be out in a little while!"

"Alright," Susan said. "Edmund can take you." She knew that Ed wanted to speak with Rapunzel for a little longer. Susan stood and left the private sitting room to go get her bow and arrows before heading out for the practice field, despite the snow that covered it.

As soon as Susan was gone, Edmund turned to Rapunzel and asked, "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Okay," Rapunzel said, standing from the comfortable arm chair. She slid her feet back into the pink shoes that Susan had given her. Once they were in the hall, heading to the gardens, Rapunzel turned to Edmund and said, "Are your brother and sister going to be home soon? And the King and Queen of Corona won't be coming, will they?"

"They should be home sometime this week," Edmund said. "And I don't think so."

"Do you think they'll like me?"

"Who? Peter and Lucy? Of course. Why wouldn't they?"

"I don't know. I just thought that they would have this expectation of me because they've been with the King and—my parents. It's still hard for me to think about them like that. You said that they know?"

"Yes. But since Peter didn't mention it when he was writing about you, I have a feeling that Lucy didn't tell anybody in Corona."

"I guess that's just as well," Rapunzel said. "I don't think that I want to go home just yet. I still have so much to do before becoming a princess."

"Like what?" Edmund asked.

"I have to find Eugene, Pascal, and Max, assuming that they're with Eugene; I have to find Moth—Gothel before she can hurt them; I have—"

"You shouldn't worry so much," Edmund said.

"I don't try to."

"I know, but…but I'm sure you'll get everything on your checklist done. You might actually find Eugene more easily once you are a princess, and I'm sure Gothel will be looking for you. I'm actually surprised she hasn't come here and lodged a complaint about somebody kidnapping her daughter."

"Do you really think so?" Rapunzel asked. "I don't ever want to go with her again. And the worst part is…is that I still love her. Is that so bad of me? I love the woman who kidnapped me and stabbed the man I lo—stabbed Eugene."

"Rapunzel…" Edmund said quietly. "You shouldn't worry about Gothel. I don't think it's bad that you still love her. She did raise you as her own for eighteen years. That's a long time. She could've just killed you."

"She wouldn't have," Rapunzel said softly. "She would have killed herself if she killed me. She was relying on my hair to stay alive. It was keeping her young. But I've already told you that."

"Yes, you have," Edmund said with a deep breath. "Please, Rapunzel, don't worry so much. It makes me worry when you worry so much."

They were in the gardens now, wandering around as the snow fell. The two friends were silent for a while. Rapunzel and Edmund had become very close over the last few weeks, ever since Edmund comforted Rapunzel in the garden. Rapunzel would never admit that she had begun to develop feelings for the Just King, but she knew that she had. He was just so kind, caring, and understanding. He was always there for her, especially when she was feeling upset about Eugene. Rapunzel still cared deeply for Eugene, but she was worried that she was starting to forget him.

Rapunzel was lost in her thoughts until she felt Edmund slip his hand into hers. She looked up at him with a curious look in her eyes, and Edmund said, "I knew that you were thinking about Eugene. I just thought I would start the comforting before the tears."

"You know me so well," Rapunzel laughed. She immediately turned somber again. "I'm just worried because I'm starting to forget his face. It's been so long. I know that three months isn't that long, but…I only knew him for two days. I should've worked harder to remember his face, his voice…I can remember the things he said to me, but I can't remember his voice! I can't remember! I can't…" Rapunzel was interrupted by a sob, sending the tears down her face.

Edmund immediately enclosed her slender body in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder. Edmund pressed his nose against her forehead, thinking, _This is how it ought to be._ "Hey," Edmund said, placing his hand under her chin and lifting it up. "Don't cry. You're just going to upset yourself more. Let's sit down."

Rapunzel allowed Edmund to lead her to a bench. The very bench, in fact, that they had sat on that night he found her in the garden. He brushed off the snow and sat down, pulling Rapunzel down next to him. "Thanks," she mumbled through the tears.

"I'm always here for you, Rapunzel," Edmund said. While Rapunzel may not have been able to admit her feelings for Edmund because of her conflicting feelings for Eugene, Edmund had nothing holding him back. He watched Rapunzel's downcast eyes spill tears and took her hands in his. Edmund didn't know if he should make the first move or not. He thought that Rapunzel liked him as more than a friend, but he didn't want to push her boundaries if she wasn't ready. However, Edmund had been comforting Rapunzel for what seemed like forever. She would never get over Eugene if he didn't help her. So Edmund made up his mind.

Cautiously, Edmund pushed Rapunzel's hair out of her eyes. He let his hand linger there for a few seconds as she looked up at him. He knew that she was fully aware of what he was about to do. It was now or never. Edmund gently placed his hand at the nape of Rapunzel's neck, under that huge braid. He carefully pulled her toward him and tilted his head to the right. He saw her follow his motions and close her eyes. He followed suit and hesitated for the briefest of seconds before he pressed his lips to hers. The two remained that way for what seemed like eternity, but was really only a few seconds.

Edmund pulled his head back and embraced Rapunzel, grinning like an idiot. He was really glad that Rapunzel (or anyone, for that matter) could not see his face.

Rapunzel was in shock. She had realized what he was about to do just before it happened. And now her heart was at war. Part of her said to move on from Eugene and listen to Edmund. Part of her said that what she was doing was wrong because she loved Eugene and Eugene loved her. _But does he?_ she asked herself. Rapunzel had heard of the expression 'Listen to your heart', but she didn't know what to do because her heart was telling her two different things. Rapunzel knew that she had to make up her mind quickly, because, if she wanted to wait for Eugene, she would have to stop anything with Edmund. She felt tears come to her eyes as she tried to decide what to do.

"Edmund," Rapunzel said softly, pulling out of his arms. The Just King grabbed the lost princess' hands and smiled at her. "I…I…" Rapunzel took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to prepare herself for telling him that she wasn't ready yet. Before she realized it, Edmund's lips were on hers again. Rapunzel's emotions were thrown out of balance and she almost gave in and lowered her guard, but her mind was screaming at her to stop.

Rapunzel pulled away and said, "Edmund, I…I'm sorry, but…but I…I just can't do this right now."

Edmund's eyes darkened and his smile disappeared. "Oh…Don't be sorry, Rapunzel. I'm sorry for all this. I moved to quickly and I shouldn't have moved at all. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Edmund," Rapunzel said. "I…_do_ have feelings for you, but…I just don't understand them right now. I don't want to do anything yet because…"

Edmund finished for her, "Because you think that he'll come back to you." Rapunzel nodded slowly, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Well," Edmund said, "Eugene Fitzherbert is a lucky man. But, if he doesn't come, Rapunzel…I'll be here."

"I know," she whispered, looking at her hands, which were still in his.

Edmund suddenly felt awkward and unwanted. Rapunzel's hands in his suddenly felt heavy and uncomfortable. He was embarrassed. Edmund felt the blood rush to his cheeks. What would Peter and Susan and Lucy say? Edmund dropped one of Rapunzel's hands and said, "I'm very sorry, Rapunzel. I…I have to go." And Edmund dropped her other hand, and ran out of the garden like a coward.

Rapunzel stared after him, another tear sliding down her cheek. _What have I done?_ she wondered.

* * *

Eugene Fitzherbert lay on the forest floor, staring up at the stars. They seemed different here than in Corona. He had forgotten that from his time in Narnia before. Eugene wondered what Rapunzel was doing at this very moment. She was probably singing to Gothel, allowing her to pull youth from Rapunzel's magical hair. That made Eugene so angry. He hated that old woman!

Once he found Rapunzel, he would kill Gothel for what she did to Rapunzel. Getting revenge for his nearly fatal wound would be an added bonus. Eugene wondered if he would ever find Rapunzel and Gothel. Surely they were shivering in the snow. He was.

Maximus snorted in his sleep, causing Eugene to jump. His heart rate slowed as he realized that it was just the horse. Eugene shivered. Why did it have to be so cold in Narnia? That was why he had made his permanent residence in Corona. Not too hot, not too cold. Eugene wondered where they were. Considering that they had been walking for months, they knew that they were in Narnia. Just where in Narnia, though…Eugene had his suspicions.

He thought that they were up near Lantern Waste, but he couldn't be sure. They might be closer to Cair Paravel than he thought, but they also might still be down south or west. There wasn't an exact way to tell for sure.

Eugene watched the stars. One seemed considerably brighter than all the others. He felt that the star was speaking to him, as absurd a thought as it was. The star seemed to be saying in a deep voice, "Do not worry. Sleep." The voice made him feel warm, despite the freezing temperatures and snow.

And Eugene Fitzherbert could not help but follow the star's advice, falling into the first peaceful slumber in months.


	9. Another Attack

**Happy snow days! I haven't been in school yesterday or today (and hopefully tomorrow), so I've gotten a lot of writing in! The official word count for this story is 15 chapters and 42,928 words, and I'm no where close to being done! That's so exciting because that makes this story the longest I've ever written! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled or Narnia or Edmund or Eugene. Crap. :'(**

**WARNING: This chapter is extremely depressing. Like, if you cry a lot, you _might _need to dig out the tissues. Especially if you listen to the recommended songs: "Obliviate", "Ron Leaves", and "Farewell to Dobby" from the Deathly Hallows soundtrack. This is really sad. Not gonna lie. Enjoy and please review! :)**

_Chapter IX – Another Attack_

Rapunzel slept fitfully when she actually could sleep. She tossed and turned all night, and was only able to doze on and off. After a particularly long period of time with no peace and sleep, Rapunzel sat up in her bed, watching the moonlight dance across the floor. The whitish blue light flickered as clouds filled the sky. Soon, very little light was left, and then that, too, disappeared, only to be filled by the gentle tapping of rain upon the windows, roof, and balconies.

The lost princess of Corona sat in her bed with the covers around her waist, shivering in her plain nightgown. She knew the reason why she couldn't sleep. It had two names: Edmund and Eugene. In her mind, Rapunzel knew that Edmund was the logical choice because there was very, very little chance that she would ever see you Eugene again. In her heart…well, Rapunzel had no idea. Her heart was showing her two paths.

The first was with Edmund. Rapunzel knew that she could be happy with him, love him even, eventually. They were such good friends already! Life would be wonderful with Edmund. Rapunzel couldn't stop her heart from racing every time she saw him, even if they weren't speaking. But, of course, that might change after the events from earlier in the day. Rapunzel can honestly say that when she walked into the garden, she didn't expect him to kiss her. She _definitely_ didn't expect him to kiss her _twice_. Of everything that could have happened, Rapunzel expected her first kiss to come from a man named Eugene. Not Edmund.

The second was with Eugene. If he did come back, or she did find him, then Rapunzel knew that they would immediately be together forever. Inseparable. Rapunzel loved Eugene. She already did and she knew that. She thought that he loved her, despite what he did with Susan and however many girls he had been with before. After all, he had told her that he was beginning to see everything in a different light. Surely that meant that he was changed for the better! That must mean that he cared for her! He broke out of prison so he could rescue her from Gothel! That must count for something…

Rapunzel felt the ghost of Edmund's kisses on her lips. Had she had it her way, Eugene would have been the first to kiss her. But Edmund was her second choice. Of course, Rapunzel didn't know any other men, so they were the only two options. But they were good options! Rapunzel cared deeply for both of them.

Ultimately, she knew she would have to pick one of the two. If she chose Eugene, she would break Edmund's heart because neither even knew if she would ever see Eugene again. If she chose Edmund, she would be accepting that Eugene wasn't coming back, and if he did, he would be heartbroken because of all he did for her.

Rapunzel just couldn't win the battle that she was fighting in her heart.

She lay back down and faced the window, watching the rain fall. Each _pat_ she heard was the name of her two male friends and a strike against her heart.

_Eugene…Edmund…Eugene…Edmund…Eugene…Edmund…_

This was how it was until she fell asleep a few moments later.

* * *

The following morning, Queen Susan walked through the halls, seeking out either Rapunzel or her brother. She wanted to know why neither had bothered to come and practice yesterday. She assumed that they had just gotten to talking for hours and it was too late by the time they finished. Having been in what she thought was love herself, Susan knew that Edmund was quickly falling head over heels for their guest. Susan saw that Rapunzel liked Edmund, too, but Rapunzel cared too deeply for Eugene to allow herself to fall for Edmund.

Susan wished that someone cared for her and loved her.

She turned a corner and ran smack into Edmund. "Oh!" she cried. "Ed, I was looking for you."

"You were?" he asked. He was sulking.

"What's wrong?" Susan asked, leading him over to a window seat in an alcove. The gray light from the rain and clouds filled the stain glass window. The image was of the four Pevensies being crowned by Aslan.

"I kissed her."

"You _what_?" Susan asked a little too loudly.

"I kissed her. Twice."

"Oh, Edmund," Susan said. "What'd she do?"

Edmund looked out the window. "She told me that she couldn't be involved with me right now because of her feelings for Eugene. I'm such an idiot."

"No, you're not," Susan disagreed. "You're a teenage boy. It's understandable."

"What did I do wrong, Susan?" Edmund asked, looking up into his older sister's eyes.

Susan read the distress in his eyes as easily as she could read the English language. "You may have just moved too quickly for her. She cares for you, Edmund. Everyone can see that. I think she still believes that Eugene will come for her."

"What do I do?"

"Be there for her," Susan said wisely. "Be a friend. Don't desert her. Don't bring it up again, but still be there for her. I guarantee that she will have rough patches because of her memories of Eugene, and she might try and avoid you at first. I wouldn't seek her out, but if she comes to you, don't ignore her. Don't push her, but don't push her away. And eventually, if Eugene Fitzherbert doesn't come, you need to step in. You never know, she might come back to you having changed her mind. Don't force her to, though. I promise you, her emotions are flooding her right now, and her heart is pushing her each and every way. And I wouldn't kiss her again, if I were you."

"I wasn't planning on it," Edmund grumbled.

"I was joking," she said dryly.

"You're not as funny as Peter, Su."

"I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Just upset, I guess. I shouldn't have kissed her. I just thought…I just thought that it was time. I thought that I wouldn't have another opportunity like that one."

Susan opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't have the chance because a female centaur came galloping up. "Your majesties!" the centaur, Naomi, said. "There has been another attack!"

"Where?" Edmund asked, slipping into his King mode. The Just King and the Gentle Queen stood.

"Beaver's dam, your majesties," Naomi said with great difficulty.

Susan and Edmund exchanged a worried look. "Were…" Susan began, but couldn't finish the question.

"I'm sorry," Naomi said. "It was a surprise. No one was prepared. The entire area was destroyed. There…there were no survivors."

Susan sank to her knees, sobbing into her hands. Edmund stood in shock, slightly swaying back and forth. Not the Beavers…It couldn't be. "Are you sure?" Edmund finally asked. The centaur nodded. "Oh, Aslan…Thank you, Naomi…" The centaur left solemnly and Edmund pulled his sister onto the cushioned bench, wrapping his arm around her protectively. "I can't believe it," Edmund said softly. "Not the Beavers…"

"We should've been ready, Edmund," Susan said quietly. "We should've known something like this was going to happen. This can't happen again. We need to be ready. Don't you agree?"

Edmund nodded and stood, offering his hand out to Susan. She took it and he pulled her to a standing position. "I'm going to talk to Oreius. We need a battle plan. This can't go on any longer."

"I agree," Susan said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'll go write a letter to Peter and Lucy. Hopefully, they will intercept it before they get here. I'll tell them to either go to Anvard or turn back to Corona. It's too dangerous for them to be traveling right now."

"You know Peter won't listen—"

"Then I'll _order_ Lucy to listen! I won't have them be ambushed and killed! It's obvious that these people are meaning to tear Narnia to pieces! They won't stop just because Peter is High King and says to leave Narnia alone. This has gone on for far too long. I won't let these people kill my brother and sister. Listen to me, Edmund. I'm going to tell Peter and Lucy to take an indirect path to Cair Paravel if they absolutely _must_ come back now. Christmas Eve may be tomorrow, but I would rather have them _alive_ and home for New Years' than_ dead_ and home for Christmas. Whoever these people are, they will kill our brother and sister. I won't stand for that."

And with a rush of skirts and a storm of fiery anger and despair, Susan was gone.

Edmund sighed and placed his hand on his forehead. He felt a headache coming on.

* * *

_Peter and Lucy,_

_I regret to tell you that there has been another attack. This was at Beaver's dam. There were no survivors. Edmund and I do not know yet who is behind these attacks, but as I speak, Edmund is giving the order to send some of the Narnian army out into Narnia to find these people. We will find this enemy and eradicate them as we did to the White Witch's forces._

_I have reason to believe that this enemy will attempt to ambush you on your way to Cair Paravel. Please, go to Anvard or back to Corona, if you must. We can celebrate Christmas when you return. I do not want to lose the rest of my family. I beg you—no; I __implore__ you to take an indirect path home._

_Edmund and I will take care of things at Cair Paravel and in Narnia for as long as needed. Please, pray for Aslan to help us. We need Him._

_Love,_

_Susan_

The Gentle Queen immediately sent a party of messengers with the tear-stained letter to Corona. She made a second copy and sent it to Anvard. If the parties did not find the High King and Valiant Queen within Narnia's borders, they were to turn back to Cair Paravel.

Susan sat on her balcony, watching the violent waves crash upon the sand. She felt her world being slowly torn down to ruins. What had she been doing while her first Narnian friends were being brutally murdered? Had she been laughing? Smiling? Sleeping? What had she been doing as the couple that led her and her siblings to the Stone Table was killed by unknown enemies? What was she doing as their lives were ending?

Queen Susan felt guilty. While she knew that Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's deaths were not her fault, she couldn't help but feel partly to blame. She should have been there for them. She should have protected Narnia better. She was the _Queen_! It was her job to protect Narnia. She was crowned by Aslan himself as a protector of Narnia. This was her land, her home.

Susan vowed to herself to avenge the deaths of her friends, even if it was the very last thing she did in her life.

* * *

The atmosphere around Cair Paravel was dismal for the rest of the day. Even Susan couldn't find a reason to be happy. She tried to finish the Christmas decorations (which she normally would have finished weeks ago, but with everything that had been going on…) with Rapunzel's help, but Susan couldn't focus. She was too distressed about the loss of her friends. Rapunzel hadn't ever met Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, but she knew that they must have been wonderful from the way that Susan and Edmund had talked about them in previous weeks' conversations.

Rapunzel was avoiding Edmund at all costs. She was too embarrassed and confused by her actions regarding the Just King. However, Rapunzel knew that avoidance would not solve anything, and would, in fact, just be pointless because she was spending all her time with Susan, and Susan and Edmund spent an awful lot of time together, especially after the deaths of their friends.

The rain poured from the sky and the grey clouds seemed to reflect everyone's moods. The Beavers had been well known and liked among Narnians, especially around Cair Paravel. Not to mention the other Narnians who lived in the area who were killed.

Rapunzel leaned against a wall in the throne room, looking out the stained glass window behind the dais. There were at least two dozen Narnians putting up an extremely large tree up on the dais. The thrones, Susan had told Rapunzel earlier, would be turned to face the tree when they actually celebrated Christmas, but would face the front for the time being.

She looked down at her long braid and tucked a stray lock of hair back into the closest portion of the braid. Rapunzel adjusted some of the flowers that Susan and she had strategically placed in her hair. Since it was the Christmas season, they had opted for red poinsettias to match the red dress that Rapunzel was wearing.

Rapunzel still didn't really understand Christmas. Susan had explained the holiday to her just two days before, and Rapunzel was stressing because she didn't have gifts for people. Susan had assured her, "Don't worry. I figured that you weren't ready, so I bought some things for you to give people. Just relax and enjoy the season."

That was before the disaster at Beaver's dam.

Rapunzel knew that Susan was upset about having to postpone Christmas. However, Rapunzel knew that Susan was glad to postpone the festivities if she could have her entire family safe and sound. Edmund never complained about putting the holiday off until his brother and younger sister were home, but Rapunzel could see that he was a little sad, despite his cheery looks as he put glass ornaments on the gigantic tree.

"Rapunzel!" a feminine voice called. The blonde looked up and started walking toward Susan. "Would you go get some of the garland out of my room, please? I had decorated in there, but it seems we need a little more out here. Thank you!"

Rapunzel ran out of the room and through the halls until she reached Susan's room, which was a few rooms down from her own. She carefully opened the door and looked upon the pale blue walls. When Susan said that she decorated, she meant it. There were wreaths on the windows, garland on the bed, and paper snowflakes on the glass doors.

She approached Susan's bed and pulled some of the garland off the headboard, but as she pulled the green vine off, she noticed a little box sticking out from under the bedside table. Rapunzel was about to push back underneath but she saw a sheet of parchment sticking out from the box. Curiosity got the best of her. Rapunzel leaned down and pulled out the parchment. It was a Wanted poster with Flynn Rider's name and picture on it. _At least the Narnians can get his nose right,_ Rapunzel thought to herself.

Fully knowing that it was wrong, Rapunzel opened the box. Inside were little letters from Flynn to Susan from his time in Cair Paravel. She couldn't bear to read them, so she put everything back in the box and slid it back under the table. It would seem like Susan did still harbor feelings for the thief. That made Rapunzel's heart hurt and she felt a strange emotion rise in her. She hadn't felt it before, but it made her a little angry and hateful toward Susan. Rapunzel knew what it was called: Jealousy.

Brushing aside the envy, Rapunzel finished pulling off the garland and left Susan's room. She walked through Cair Paravel's corridors and back into the throne room. Rapunzel handed Susan the garland ("Thank you so much!") and went back up onto the dais, where she assisted in decorating the tree.

While this huge tree was mainly for show, the Pevensie family had a smaller tree in their private sitting room, and that was where the Kings and Queens spent their Christmas. All their gifts were under that tree, and they made it an annual custom so that they all spent the day in their night clothes while opening presents. Susan had assured Rapunzel that the guest was welcome for the family holiday.

Rapunzel's thoughts were interrupted by a door being thrown open as forcefully as possible. A centaur rushed in and shouted, "The High King Peter and Queen Lucy have returned!"

* * *

Peter and Lucy were extremely close to Cair Paravel (only about three hours away) when they intercepted the letter from Susan. Lucy cried for the entire journey back to Cair Paravel and Peter was abnormally silent. The rain had let up for a while, but the sky was grey, just like their moods. They rushed back to Cair Paravel but were interrupted when they were approximately two hours out.

This interruption went by the name of Flynn Rider.

And by the time that Flynn Rider noticed that he was looking straight at the High King and Queen of Narnia, he was only able to mutter two words. "Damn it."


	10. A Narnian Christmas

**FINALLY! The chapter you've all been waiting for! :)(But not necessarily in the way you suspect because I'm sneaky like that!) And there was much rejoicing. YAY! (Sorry, I'm on a Monty Python and the Holy Grail kick right now. It will pass-"None shall pass."-eventually. Haha)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or Tangled or anything else I might reference (including a line from Narnia, the Musical). :'( Stop bothering me about it or I'll turn you into a newt! (*Sigh*)**

**P.S. - This has hit 50K words! Heck to the yes! And there was much rejoicing. Please enjoy this chapter and review! :)**

_Chapter X – A Narnian Christmas_

Susan and Edmund looked at each other and immediately rushed out of the room. Rapunzel didn't know what to do, so she just stood there, and continued hanging decorations. Susan and Edmund ran as fast as they could to the entry hall. There stood High King Peter and Queen Lucy, soaking wet.

"Pete! Lu!" Edmund cried out. The family quickly formed a group hug, despite the fact that Peter and Lucy were wet. Susan and Edmund were just glad that their siblings were home. "How did you get here so fast?"

"The messenger with your letter found us about three hours away from Cair Paravel," Lucy explained. "It was just easiest for us to come straight home. We didn't want to miss Christmas! And we also have other news—"

"That can wait," Peter interrupted. "We'll tell you later. Let's go change into something warm and dry. You two need to change as well," he said regarding Edmund and Susan's now wet clothes. They laughed and the four linked arms as they walked through the halls of Cair Paravel.

Peter and Edmund broke off to go to their rooms, but Susan and Lucy remained together. Susan quickly ran into her room and grabbed a dress, but then ran back to her younger sister's room. "So how was Corona?" Susan asked.

"Lovely," Lucy answered. "It was very beautiful, but they don't get snow. The only change that winter brings is chilly weather. But other than that, it seems to be about the same year round. I missed the snow! Oh, and Susan, I brought a friend home with me! Her name is Hadassah and she was a servant, but she was more like a daughter to King Harold and Queen Julia. Oh, the King and Queen of Corona are wonderful people! They are so kind!"

"Did you tell them that their daughter is here?" Susan asked, interrupting Lucy's fast words.

"Oh, um, no," Lucy said, quickly embarrassed. "I didn't even tell Peter. The opportunity never came up."

"Lu…" Susan said, trailing off because she was disappointed with Lucy.

Lucy sighed. "It's not as if we aren't going to go back! Peter's now betrothed to Princess Helene! He and King Harold agreed to it, along with trade routes, peace treaties, and everything else!"

"He what?" Susan asked, shocked. "Peter didn't tell us that."

"He only told me right before we left. I think that he thinks that Helene is dead. If he knew what he had gotten himself into…" Lucy became lost in her own thoughts.

"That's why you didn't tell him," Susan said, realizing that her sister knew sooner than she let on. "Well, Edmund is going to be upset."

"Why?"

"He and Rapunzel, who doesn't like being called Princess Helene, by the way, so don't bring it up. He and Rapunzel became involved, but she's torn by her feelings for Eugene, who is Flynn Rider."

"Oh, Susan," Lucy said, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. _How am I going to tell her that Flynn Rider is in the castle? _Lucy asked herself. "Are you alright with that?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" Susan snapped, a little more hostile than the situation called for. "It's not like I'm ever going to see him again."

_If you only knew…_ Lucy thought. "Well…how have things been here in Narnia?"

"Oh, Lucy," Susan said, tears filling her eyes. "Things were alright until this morning when we found out that Mr. and Mrs. Beaver have been murdered. Whoever has been attacking Narnia attacked Beaver's dam and no one survived! It's been positively dreadful! Ed and I have tried to be cheerful as we get ready for Christmas, but I'm so bad at pretending! I just don't know what we're going to do."

"Susan," Lucy said, throwing her arms around her sister. "We're just going to have to accept that it was Aslan's will and he had a purpose for it."

"But that's so hard."

"I know, but it's the only thing we can do. We can grieve for them, and honor them, and _try_ to go on."

Susan nodded. "I have a surprise for you, Lucy. I'm throwing another Christmas ball on Christmas day, just like we had a few years ago. I've kept a secret from everyone else, but I think that you need to help me plan it."

"Of course!" Lucy exclaimed, suddenly very excited. "Oh, we have so much to do! Who all is invited?"

"I've sent word to Archenland, Corona (while you were gone, it was the right thing to do), and, unfortunately, Calormen. I felt like I had to invited the Calormenes or I wouldn't be a good hostess. I've been planning this for a very long time. Since August, probably."

"Oh, Susan, this is so exciting!" Lucy clasped her hands together eagerly. "Do you know who all will be there?"

"King Lune, Prince Corin (don't give me that look, Lucy!), and all the usual Narnians. I haven't heard from Calormen, but that doesn't mean anything. And the King and Queen of Corona said that they wished they could, but they didn't think they would make it in time. It's understandable, since it's such a long journey."

"I'm so excited! I don't think I can wait until the day after tomorrow!" Lucy bounced up and down to express her enthusiasm. Susan laughed.

The Queens had finished changing clothes and were now putting their shoes on. "Come," Susan said, holding her hand out to her sister. "We must finish hanging the Christmas decorations and you must meet Rapunzel."

"And you must meet Hadassah!" Lucy said. "She's one of my best friends! I told her that she could have the room next to mine! Is that alright?"

"Of course, Lu," Susan said happily.

The two sisters walked arm in arm back to the throne room. When they entered, their brothers were laughing as they walked in through another door. The girls smiled at the boys and the four walked toward each other. "Hello again," Peter said.

"Come, you need to meet Rapunzel," Susan said. The Pevensies walked over to the blonde, who was happily singing to herself as she hung decorations on the large tree. "Rapunzel! These are my siblings, Lucy and Peter."

"Hi," Rapunzel said. "I've heard so much about you!"

"And we've heard basically nothing about you," Peter said. He noticed that her eyes were very large. He also noticed that her thick braid almost reached the floor. That was a _lot_ of hair. "I'm Peter," he said, holding out his hand. She took it and he shook it.

"And I'm Lucy!" the smallest Pevensie exclaimed, pulling the slightly taller girl into a hug. Peter noticed how Edmund and Rapunzel seemed to be avoiding eye contact with each other. He knew he would have to confront either Ed or Su about that later. "I wonder where Hadassah is…" Lucy wondered aloud and then wandered off.

"Rapunzel!" a faun called. The faun held up some garland and Rapunzel smiled and ran over to help.

"She seems to be getting on well," Peter said. "What's with all that hair?"

"It's magical," Edmund said. "When she sings, it glows. And if she cuts it off, it turns brown, loses its power, and doesn't grow anymore."

"I can see why she wouldn't want to cut it off. Is she trustworthy?"

Susan and Edmund both looked at their brother with looks of horror etched upon their faces. "Why would you ask such a thing?" Susan asked.

"It just seems a little suspicious that she would arrive just as the attacks are getting worse and Narnia is at its weakest with the monarchs divided."

"No," Susan and Edmund both said. Edmund continued, "She's completely trustworthy. And harmless. I would like to see the day where she hurt _anyone_. Well, actually, it would be interesting to see her fight the woman who kidnapped her."

"What happened?"

"You know the story, Peter."

"No, I don't," the High King argued.

"Yes, you do," Edmund said.

"Lucy didn't tell him," Susan told her younger brother. "Rapunzel is the lost princess of Corona."

"What?" Peter asked, a look of utter despair crossing his features. "She…that girl is the lost princess?"

Susan and Edmund nodded. "And she knows Flynn Rider," Susan said. "Except she knows him as Eugene Fitzherbert. And they're in _love_." Peter raised his eyebrows. "But I don't think he's going to come for her as she thinks he will. There's no way he's ever coming near Cair Paravel again. After all, he wouldn't make it past the drawbridge without being arrested and thrown into the dungeon."

"About that—" Peter began, but was interrupted by Lucy bringing a girl over.

"This is Hadassah!" she exclaimed. "Hadassah, this is Susan and Edmund. They're my sister and other brother. Edmund is your age."

"It's nice to meet you," Hadassah said. "Is there anything you want me to do for you, Lucy?"

The Valiant Queen rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hadassah, I keep telling you! You're here as a _guest_! Not as a servant!" The girls smiled at each other and ran off again.

"She seems nice," Susan said.

Peter nodded. "She's a very nice girl. Helpful, too. She seems to know exactly what you need _before_ you need it. And Lucy simply adores her. Even though Hadassah is two years older than Lucy, they get along extremely well. It seems that Lucy finally has a best friend. And a real one. Not one of those girls who Lucy gets along with but everyone knows that they hate each other. Well, I don't think Lucy knows that."

Susan and Edmund laughed as they saw Hadassah and Lucy running around, helping where help was needed. It was true. Hadassah always seemed to know where to go next. "I'm glad that Lucy has a friend," Susan said. "It's about time she actually enjoys company with another girl who is pretty close to her age."

* * *

Eugene Fitzherbert leaned against the cold, damp wall in his prison cell. It was worse here than it was in Corona! At least it was warm there. Now what was going to happen to him? Were the Narnian rulers going to sentence him to death? Or would he be shipped back to Corona to be killed there? He knew that he was going to die either way.

If Eugene had a choice, he would rather die in Narnia. It was better to die trying to find Rapunzel than to return to the place where he had met her. Especially if he was hanged at the gallows by the castle. He would have to go through the village to get there, and he would be reminded of all the places he had been with Rapunzel. He doubted that the gang of thugs from the Snuggly Duckling would be there to save him this time. He doubted that they were even on their own. The thugs were probably locked up for helping him escape.

Eugene Fitzherbert knew three things for sure. One, this was going to be the absolute worst Christmas ever. Two, he was going to die within the next few weeks. Three, he would never see Rapunzel again. And he definitely regretted the third thing the most.

* * *

On Christmas morning, the Pevensie family, plus Rapunzel, were gathered in the Pevensie's private sitting room. Hadassah had opted to spend her Christmas morning helping others. She felt bad for intruding on the family, even though Lucy told her time and time again that she would love to have Hadassah join them. Hadassah had promptly turned the Queen down.

The five people were all in their nightclothes with robes and slippers and blankets everywhere. They were snacking on the breakfast foods that had been laid out for them earlier in the morning. The sun was barely rising on the horizon, but the people didn't care. It was Christmas!

They eagerly looked at the things that Father Christmas had left for them. Peter received a book about different types of swords; Susan received a book about the detailed and complete history of Narnia (it was over a thousand pages); Edmund received a new dagger; Lucy received a new headband that had laurel flowers on it (which was Lucy's signature flower); Rapunzel received a set of about fifty diamond hair pins to place in her braid.

They began to open their other gifts, one at a time, going around the circle from youngest to oldest (which there was some discrepancy about who was older: Edmund or Rapunzel; Edmund was older by about ten months). Everyone was very grateful for their gifts. Rapunzel was quite embarrassed when they opened her presents because she didn't know what they were, as Susan had picked them out. The Gentle Queen said nothing about the fact that she knew what she was getting from Rapunzel ("Oh, Rapunzel! It's perfect! Thank you so much!"). The lost princess was also in shock because they had all given her gifts. Even Peter and Lucy had heard of her from their brother and sister, and had gotten her things while they were in Corona.

Thinking that she would enjoy it, Lucy had gotten Rapunzel a purple flag with the golden sun on it. Rapunzel treasured it greatly, even though she already had one tucked in her bodice. Rapunzel carried her flag with her everywhere because it was a memoir of her two magical days with Eugene Fitzherbert and the best birthday ever.

The gift-giving only lasted about three hours, and that was with a few breaks so they could stretch their legs or get more food. After a long time of messing around with their gifts (namely a duel between Peter and Edmund, who had both gotten new daggers, that resulted in the breaking of a lamp), they split up so they could get ready for the ball that night, which had come as a surprise to Rapunzel, Edmund, and Peter.

For the most part, everyone got ready by themselves, but about an hour before the ball was scheduled to begin, Susan and Lucy came into Rapunzel's room. Both were completely ready with their dresses on and hair done, with their crowns sitting atop their heads. Susan's dress was black and white with white sleeves and a black underskirt. It made her look even fairer with her dark hair, ruby red lips, and gold crown. Lucy's dress was red with a white under dress. It looked pretty with her reddish brown hair and silver crown.

Rapunzel's own dress was green. The sleeves were light green and the skirt and bodice were forest green. Susan had given the dress to her as a Christmas present. She had convinced Rapunzel that the green brought out her eyes. "Do you want help?" Susan asked.

"Well, I—"

"Don't even bother to answer," Lucy said. "We're going to help you anyway."

The Queens approached the lost princess and took the box of diamond pins away from her. Susan opened the box and set it on the vanity. She turned Rapunzel to face the wall and she and Lucy set upon the task of doing Rapunzel's hair.

The girls discussed simple matters while Lucy and Susan strategically placed the diamonds within the large braid so that the pins were hidden and only the diamonds showed. The overall effect was ethereal. After half an hour of this, the girls turned Rapunzel toward the mirror. "Oh, my," was all the princess could get out.

She looked stunning. The diamonds in her hair reflected the light and made her look like she was glowing. "Now," Susan said, "I wouldn't sing your song tonight to make your hair glow. That might just be a little _too_ much." The girls laughed. "Just…one…more… There." She had placed the last pin close to Rapunzel's face. "You look gorgeous," the Gentle Queen said. "Well, at least _I_ don't have to worry about being the center of attention tonight."

Edmund's head turned as he saw three girls enter the room. One of them, Lucy, immediately peeled off to go find Hadassah. The other two, Susan and Rapunzel, approached Edmund and Peter. Rapunzel seemed to be sparkling. As she turned around to say "Hello" to somebody, Edmund saw that the diamond pins were placed all over her braid, like she normally had the flowers.

"You both look very nice," Peter said as soon as Susan and Rapunzel were close. "But you're three minutes late." The girls laughed. "But I suppose all is forgiven. It _is_ Christmas after all."

The four laughed again. "May I have this dance?" Peter asked Susan, offering his arm out to her. She smiled and walked off with her brother.

Edmund and Rapunzel stood there awkwardly for a moment before Edmund got his brains about him and he offered his arm to Rapunzel. She took it with a smile, and allowed herself to be led to the center of the dance floor.

"I'm afraid I'm not a very good dancer," she told him.

"You have nothing to worry about," Edmund said. "I'm a very good dancer." She laughed and Edmund smiled. They floated about the dance floor, soon forgetting that anybody else was there. Rapunzel bit her lower lip and smiled at Edmund. He was so tall! The fast dance ended and slow music began. Not wanting to be rude and ask to leave to save them the awkwardness, Rapunzel just kept dancing with Edmund.

It was different than dancing with Eugene. Not that she had danced with Eugene much at all. Only for a few seconds on her birthday. But those few seconds had been magical!

They danced for a very, very long time. Eventually, the two left the dance floor to find someplace quieter to talk. They opted for a corner of the ballroom. While not ideal, the corner had a few chairs and was far enough away from the small orchestra and talking people. "Are you having fun?"

"Oh, yes!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

"Good," Edmund said, and took her hand. Rapunzel looked up at him. Something in her heart twitched. She wondered if it would be so bad to be with Edmund…he was a very nice person, and she had no idea if Eugene would ever come back! She probably wouldn't ever see him again. Edmund looked into her eyes and saw that she was slowly coming to accept him.

He fixed the tiny diamond that had fallen slightly, and traced her jaw with his thumb. He carefully placed his hand on the back of her neck. Rapunzel knew what was coming. She saw him coming closer to her. Edmund closed his eyes. She looked at his dark hair. Rapunzel tilted her head slightly and began to close her eyes as his lips were mere inches away from her own…

But then Rapunzel saw something scurry across the floor. Something small and green. She stopped in her tracks. "Is everything alright?" Edmund asked, feeling embarrassed and dejected.

"Yes," she said. "Excuse me for a moment."

Rapunzel followed the creature, leaving the ballroom. Not paying attention to where she was going, Rapunzel followed the lizard. Eventually, she caught up to it. It looked up at her. "Pascal!" she cried, picking up the chameleon. She hugged him for a moment, but he was looking up at her with a worried look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" He pointed his tail down at the ground. She set him down, and Pascal ran off again. Rapunzel followed him down hallways and corridors and stairs that she had never visited before. "Where are we?" she asked, but got no reply. Just more running.

She heard a commotion up ahead. Then she saw four guards leading a prisoner away. Rapunzel knew that she shouldn't be here. But she continued on anyway. As she got closer, she realized that they didn't see her. But the prisoner did. "Rapunzel!" he cried.

Rapunzel's heart soared and broke simultaneously. "Eugene!"


	11. Trial and Tribulation

Please don't hate me. All I'm going to say.

**Disclaimer: Yes. My name is C.S. Lewis. Charlotte Staples Lewis, like the character on Lost, so I own this. *BEEP!* Dang, that was the lie detector. The little man behind is giving the questioner a thumbs down. Fine, fine! My name isn't Charlotte! *sigh* And I don't own Tangled or Narnia! *sob***

_Chapter XI – Trial and Tribulation_

Eugene Fitzherbert fought against the men holding him. He couldn't believe that Rapunzel was right before his very eyes! The two fauns (he didn't know that's what they were) that were holding him tightened their grips and a third creature grabbed hold. He saw Rapunzel rush over, holding that frog thing, but the fourth guard, a giant horse-man thing, blocked her path.

"You aren't supposed to be down here!" he commanded.

"But I have to speak with Eugene!" she cried. He had forgotten how wonderful her voice was.

"Go back upstairs," the centaur demanded.

"Oreius, please!" Rapunzel cried. "Just let me speak with him!"

"I'm under strict orders from the High King _himself_ that no one is to speak with Rider."

Rapunzel huffed and puffed, fighting against the centaur as he dragged her back upstairs. Eugene continued to fight, even though he was being pulled in the opposite direction. "Eugene!" Rapunzel shouted, turning toward him. He was already gone. Rapunzel decided that she would confront Peter immediately. Or maybe after the ball was finished, to prevent making a scene.

As soon as she was pushed into the ballroom, Rapunzel sought out Edmund. She didn't have to look too far. He was looking for her, too. "Where did you go?" he asked her.

"Did you know Eugene is here?" she asked him, ignoring his question to her.

"How did you find out?" he asked.

"Pascal took me to him!" Rapunzel held up her chameleon friend. Edmund looked shocked that she had a chameleon in her hands. "How long has he been here? How did you know he was here?"

"Peter told me earlier. Pete and Lu found him before they came back to Cair Paravel with a horse and a chameleon. That one, I guess."

"Why didn't anybody tell me?"

"They probably just didn't want you to know yet." Edmund was getting frustrated with her constant questions. He knew that he would never have a chance with her if Eugene Fitzherbert was here now. "Let's just enjoy ourselves, please? It's Christmas!"

"And Eugene is spending it locked in a cell! That's a pretty bad Christmas if you ask me!"

"Fine! Go spend it with him!" Edmund shouted.

"Maybe I will!"

"What's going on here?" Peter asked. Neither had noticed him walking up.

"Why didn't you tell me that Eugene was here?" Rapunzel demanded.

"Eugene who? Oh, you mean Flynn Rider? I didn't think you cared. His trial is in the morning."

"Trial? For what?"

"The crimes he's committed in Narnia and Corona. I spoke with King Harold and Queen Julia about him and they said that whoever finds him can try him. We found him, so he will be punished under Narnian law."

Rapunzel's eyes widened and filled with tears. "You're going to kill him?" she asked, but before accepting an answer, she ran away. Rapunzel ran and ran and ran through the halls of Cair Paravel. She had no idea where Eugene was, so she didn't even bother attempting to run there. She ran to her room and slammed the door behind her.

Tears streaming down her face, Rapunzel tore off her dress and threw it on the back of the chair at her vanity. She tossed the nightgown over her head and pulled her hair free from under the dress. Not bothering to unbraid it or take out the diamond pins, Rapunzel just threw herself onto her bed, staring out the windows and crying into her pillow.

The time passed slowly. Eventually, the faint music that she could hear from her room faded away and the voices died down. She couldn't sleep. Her bedroom door opened. "Rapunzel?" a soft voice called.

"What?" she replied in a whisper.

"Are you okay?" Susan asked, sitting down on Rapunzel's bed.

Rapunzel sat up and faced her friend. "No. Eugene's here and no one bothered to tell me."

"He's here?" she asked, stiffening. "No one bothered to tell me either. They were probably afraid of our reactions. I want to kill him and you want to save him. They're two pretty opposite and drastic reactions." Rapunzel gave a little laugh. She pulled her enormous braid in front of her and started picking at it. "Let's take the pins out so you don't lose them." Susan fetched the box and then started carefully pulling the pins out of her hair. Rapunzel pulled a few out and placed them in the box. Soon, they had counted all fifty out and closed the box.

Rapunzel went to get her hairbrush. She undid the braid and started brushing her hair. Softly, she sang, "Flower gleam and glow; let your power shine. Make the clock reverse; bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt; change the fates' design. Save what has been lost; bring back what once was mine…what once was mine…" Her hair glowed brightly as she brushed it out to its full length. Susan was always surprised by how long it was. The glow faded and Rapunzel smiled.

"I think I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Rapunzel said. As soon as Susan left the room, Rapunzel lay back down and closed her eyes, quickly falling into an abyss of darkness.

* * *

The next morning, Rapunzel got dressed as quickly as possible. Susan helped Rapunzel braid her hair because it was faster than Rapunzel doing it herself. Neither girl had been told of the time of the trial, probably because Peter didn't want either of them there. Traditionally, Queen Susan would be required to attend the trial, but she had been involved personally with Flynn Rider, and Peter was afraid that might affect the Gentle Queen's judgment.

The girls ran through the deserted castle, stopping briefly by the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat. They continued running as they ate. Susan stopped Rapunzel from bursting straight into the throne room by pulling her into a hidden corridor that's entrance was concealed by a large tapestry. "Lucy and I found this a few years ago so we could spy on the throne room when Peter was having private meetings," Susan explained in a whisper.

Thankfully, they had not missed much. Peter was reading all of Flynn Rider's crimes off a scroll. Both the Kings and Queen were dressed in full Narnian royalty regalia. "Flynn Rider," Peter spoke, looking down at the man in chains. "While your crimes are numerous and equally criminal, you are subject to Narnian law. So while I would absolutely love to take your head off for the grief you caused my sister, I cannot."

"I can't just watch from here," Susan said. Rapunzel followed her into the back of the throne room.

"Flynn Rider, you are hereby banished from Narnia, Corona, and Archenland. You are to set sail tonight for Galma. From there, you may travel wherever you like, but if you return to Narnia, Corona, or Archenland, you _will_ be killed. Understood?" Eugene nodded solemnly. "Good. Take him away!"

"No!" Rapunzel cried out, unable to stop herself. The entire room turned to look at her. "Let me speak with him!"

"I can't let you do that—" Peter said.

Rapunzel interrupted, "As princess of Corona, I demand that you let me speak with him!"

Peter didn't know what to say, as Rapunzel and Susan made their way to the front of the room. Susan went directly to Flynn. She slapped him across the face and said, "That was for stealing my bow and arrows." She raised her hand and slapped him again. "And that was for flirting with me." Content, Queen Susan walked up to her thrown and sat, smirking.

"You have ten minutes," Peter said quietly to Rapunzel.

"Thank you," she whispered with a weak and grateful smile. Rapunzel followed the guards into a side room. Eugene was sitting on the floor, still chained. "Oh, Eugene…how come every time I see you, you're locked up?" she sighed. "Unchain him!" she ordered.

The guards exchanged a curious look and did as she asked.

Eugene stretched his arms and embraced Rapunzel. "I thought I was never going to see you again," he murmured against her hair.

"I thought so, too," Rapunzel agreed, glad to finally be in his arms. Her vision was clouding from the tears that filled her eyes. "We're never going to see each other again. It would have been better if we never met. None of this would have happened."

"Rapunzel, look at me." Eugene took her dainty hands in his rough ones. "I'd rather have known you for the best two days of my life than to have never known you at all. Those few days I spent with you back in Corona were the best days of my life. Being with you was the best thing that's ever happened to me. You opened my eyes to new things and I saw the world in a different light. You changed my life, Rapunzel, and I am grateful for that. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Rapunzel smiled weakly at him and tucked her hair behind her ear. Then she grabbed his collar, and pulled him toward her, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his.

Eugene was surprised at first, but quickly caught on. The kiss was brief, but meaningful. They pulled apart and embraced tightly. Rapunzel and Eugene just sat there for a few minutes, wrapped in each other's arms. "Time's up!" a guard called.

"I love you," Eugene whispered.

"I love you, too," Rapunzel replied.

They were pulled apart and as Rapunzel was quickly ushered from the room, Eugene was chained again. Tears flowed down Rapunzel's face, and she didn't care that everyone was staring at her as she fled from the throne room. She ran straight for her room. Halfway there, Rapunzel realized that there was absolutely nothing keeping her in Narnia. She would go with him!

Rapunzel threw open her door and grabbed a small bag that Susan had given her. She quickly tucked a few dresses in it, as well as her hairbrush and hair pins. Rapunzel hid it under her bed and walked out onto the balcony. She leaned against the railing and stared out at the Eastern Sea. How confined she felt here! It was almost as if Narnia was her new tower. Rapunzel knew that she would follow Eugene to the end of the world if she had to.

She looked down at the ground. It was a long way, probably farther than her tower. But maybe she had just forgotten the height. If she looped her hair around the balcony, she should be able to make it to the ground with only a short jump, if she even needed to jump at all. It would be easier to slide down her hair than sneak through the castle where guards were walking. If Eugene was leaving tonight, the cover of darkness should be enough to hide her. It's not as if her hair glowed _all_ the time.

Rapunzel stared at the sea and waited patiently for the time for her to make her escape.

* * *

Lucy changed out of her formal clothing and into something more comfortable. She hated punishing people, even if they deserved it. Hate was not part of her nature, except when it came to Flynn Rider. As much as she hated Flynn Rider for how he had hurt Susan, she didn't like the idea of banishing him. Lucy knew that it wasn't her call and that it shouldn't even bother her at all, but she had seen a glimpse of the love that Rapunzel and Flynn had for each other. She and Edmund had snuck out of the throne room and watched through a secret vent. Lucy knew that it was wrong, but she and Edmund were simply curious.

It wasn't until later that she found out that Edmund liked Rapunzel as more than a friend.

Now, Lucy was heading to out to the beach to watch the sun set. That was one of the best things about Narnia, compared to…that other place. Narnia's sun was beautiful and the colors that it cast upon the sky while rising and setting were simply breathtaking.

Once she was at the edge of the sand, Lucy took her shoes off and pulled up her skirt. She walked toward the Eastern Sea so that she was soon at the edge of the water, but not where she would get wet. The Valiant Queen sat down and dug her feet into the sand. The bottom of the sun was barely touching the edge of the horizon.

She tilted her head to the right and looked out over the water. The tide was coming in, and a trickle of water came up and tickled her toes. She smiled as the cool water disappeared. Lucy's smile disappeared as she felt a presence come up behind her.

Worried, she turned around and gasped. Standing, Lucy ran down the beach, crying for help. Lucy knew that no one could hear her because she was too far away and no one had come down to the beach with her. Her pursuer followed with a smirk. Lucy tripped over a small sand dune, and was captured by coarse hands that tightly grabbed her wrists and clamped down over her mouth. She struggled, but to no avail. She was carried off just as the sun dipped below the horizon, the ocean water erasing the footprints from the sand.

* * *

Peter walked out to the stables. He wanted to look at the horse that had been found with Flynn Rider. They had found earlier that the horse was a dumb animal and was called Maximus, according to the name that was engraved upon the collar. Peter figured that Flynn Rider had stolen the horse. From what he heard, the horse seemed to be a very fine steed. Fast, too.

The sun was setting. He took the long way to the stables, around and through the lower levels of Cair Paravel. He looked out the window toward the Eastern Sea, thinking that he saw something suspicious on the beach. It must have been his imagination because there was nothing there now. But then something very long, like rope that had been taken apart fell from above. Peter gasped. It was _hair_!

Then came the girl. Peter rolled his eyes and opened the nearest window. "Rapunzel!" he called. He saw her flinch and turn toward him. He was about ten feet above her. "What are you doing?"

She looked lost for words for a moment as she gathered up her hair. "I, uh," she stammered, "I'm going with Eugene. I don't need to stay here, and I won't be happy without him!"

"Rapunzel," he sighed, "you can't just pull the whole 'I'm the lost princess, I can do whatever I want' thing and then run away! Everyone knows that you're the princess of Corona. You're going to have to go back!"

"But I can't leave Eugene!" she said.

"He's already gone," Peter said.

"What?" Rapunzel asked, tears filling her eyes.

Peter's eyes widened as he saw a chameleon on her shoulder. _What in the world?_ he asked himself. "He took a ship that left an hour ago. He's already on his way to Galma by now." Quietly, Peter added, "I'm sorry."

Tears filled Rapunzel's eyes, but she didn't let them fall. Brushing them away quickly, Rapunzel muttered, "Oh. Well, I suppose I'm too late then. I'm just going…um, back upstairs now." She disappeared from sight, presumably through a door below.

Peter felt bad for her. What he said was true, though. Flynn Rider was gone. Peter had no idea where he would go once he reached Galma. If Peter knew, he would tell Rapunzel. He could see that the two really cared about each other. And despite how Edmund felt about Rapunzel (Peter had coerced the truth from him earlier), Peter knew that Rapunzel and Flynn—_Eugene_ really cared about each other.

The High King continued to walk through the halls of his home, once again noticing something on the beach through a window. This time, he stared out, seeking the danger that he could sense. And then, as the sun sunk lower in the horizon, he saw two dark figures on the beach. One pursued a third person, who looked small and feminine. The sun glinted off something on her head, something that looked silver. _Lucy! She said that she was going down to the beach!_ The dark figure grabbed the Valiant Queen and the two men dragged her off.

Peter was in shock. He recovered quickly, and took off through Cair Paravel, running for the stable, shouting, "Queen Lucy's been kidnapped from the beach! Help!" People everywhere were astonished, but leapt into action.

The High King sprinted to the stable, and jumped on the first horse he could find, which happened to be Edmund's horse, Phillip. The two rode toward the beach, but no one was there. There weren't even footsteps to show the direction of Lucy's kidnappers! The waves had washed away any traces that were actually traceable.

Peter felt anger rise within him.

He rode back to Cair Paravel, irate that he could even follow them! It would be a waste of time and resources to follow a blind trail. He didn't even know what direction they had gone.

Susan and Edmund and Rapunzel met Peter in the throne room of Cair Paravel. Peter threw the doors closed and stormed up to his throne. He thrust himself into the seat and buried his face in the palm of his hand, shutting his eyes.

"What happened?" Susan asked gently.

"Lucy was kidnapped," Peter struggled to say. "There aren't any footprints or anything that would be possible to follow. We have no idea who kidnapped her, why they kidnapped her, or where they went."

"I'll round up the rest of the army," Edmund said. "We can follow—"

"Follow what, exactly?" Peter asked, not looking up. He felt a migraine coming on.

"We can spread out and search for Lucy and her kidnappers."

"We don't even know where they went!" Peter shouted, finally looking up from his hand.

"It's better than sitting here and doing nothing!" Edmund yelled, becoming very angry.

"There's nothing we can do!" screamed Peter.

"Would you just get off your high—" Edmund bellowed furiously.

Susan interrupted him, "Shut up! Both of you! Don't you see what's happening?" The men grew silent. "They're tearing us apart! First the Beavers, now Lucy…who's next? They're getting to us through the ones we love! Whoever these people are…they're slowly destroying everything we have. They're weakening us bit by bit. Soon, our army will be too spread out to defend anybody. The army won't be able to get together in time in case there's an attack because they'll be days away from here."

"Susan's right," Edmund muttered.

"I agree that we can't just do nothing," Susan continued calmly, "but we can't allow ourselves to argue like this. We'll be angry with each other, and we won't be able to focus when we need it."

"You're majesties!" a voice called. The group turned toward the door. "There was another attack!" the dwarf said bravely. "It was close to here. It was on the village."

"What?" the three Pevensies, plus Rapunzel, asked.

"Was anyone killed?" Peter asked.

"We haven't finished checking everybody out," the dwarf said. "But there were many injuries. Some of the town has burned down—"

"Who was injured?" Susan asked, rapidly growing fearful. "Were any of our friends injured?"

The dwarf seemed to be struggling to gather his words. "The faun Tumnus was injured badly. He's been treated now in the hospital wing, but no one knows—" The dwarf didn't have the chance to finish his sentence, because the Susan, Edmund, Peter, and Rapunzel rushed out of the room and toward the hospital wing.

_When is this nightmare going to end?_ Susan asked herself.


	12. The Nightmare Continues

**Hiya! :) Do you know how to create a dwarf name? Make up a word and add 'nik' onto the end of it. For real. Okay, so you know how Narnia is supposed to be a Christian allegory (though not according to C.S. Lewis, but whatever)? Well, this is where things may get a little controversial. It's not an allegory, per se, but there are some things in this chapter and in future chapters that can be taken either way, as a little Christian poke or just as a plot device. I don't care which you read it as. It's not important. Let me know what you think of it!**

**Disclaimer: Seriously? By this point, do I need to put this on here anymore? I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! (Not even my husbands, Edmund and Eugene. Because owning people is slavery and slavery is wrong.) :( Oh, and the sentence (or two? I can't remember) that Lucy repeats over and over again is Psalm 56:11. :) Enjoy and please review!**

**P.S. - Pictures of the characters are on my profile! :)**

_Chapter XII – The Nightmare Continues_

The hospital wing was filled with injured Narnians, some more harmed than others. Susan immediately went around and visited each and every Narnian; Edmund stood in shock; Peter asked around if anyone knew where Queen Lucy's cordial was. Rapunzel immediately went to Mr. Tumnus, as he was the first Narnian that she met. He was covered in blood and was breathing shallowly. Rapunzel hoped that he wasn't in much pain and was thankful that he was unconscious. She immediately gathered her hair, which was still unbraided and trailing the floor, and pressed it to one of his wounds, not caring that the blood was getting in her hair.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine; make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine; heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design; save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine…what once was mine," she sang quietly. Her hair glowed a bright, glittery yellow and began to heal his wounds. She sensed people staring and felt their eyes on her back, but she didn't move to look at them. Tumnus began to breathe more deeply and not as painfully. Rapunzel smiled and moved to the next Narnian, repeating the process.

Peter walked to Susan and Edmund. "It's almost like Lucy's cordial, except she has the power in herself, in her hair. How is that possible?"

"She said it had something to do with a drop of sunlight falling in dark times and growing a flower," Edmund whispered. "Her, uh, well not Mother, but…Uh, Gothel, I guess…she used the flower to remain young for centuries, but then the pregnant Queen of Corona was sick and was about to die. Everyone in Corona searched far and wide for the flower, and they found it on the edge of a cliff. They took the flower and healed the Queen with it. Even though both the King and Queen of Corona have brown hair, the princess was born with blonde. And we all know what happened from then. Rapunzel said that Eugene told her all this, but she didn't understand it until later."

"Do you think…?" Peter asked, trailing off because he got distracted.

"It's possible," Edmund said, understanding.

"What?" Susan asked.

"The fire-flower juice comes from the fire-flowers that grow on the mountains of the sun," Peter explained. "Or, at least, that's what Father Christmas told Lucy. Remember? It's very possible that they're the same type of flower. Except Lucy doesn't have to sing to make her cordial work."

Susan agreed. "That makes perfect sense."

The three Pevensies watched their friend go around, healing the Narnians one by one. There was only one who she was unable to heal: a satyr. Rapunzel had wept because he was unable to be saved, and Susan had comforted her, gently telling her that she needed to move on because there were others who needed help, too.

"She's going to be helpful on the battlefield," Peter said to Edmund, as Susan was still with Rapunzel.

"No," Edmund said. "She can't go to the battlefield. She's not strong enough."

"Try telling her that," Susan said, walking up. "While I agree with you, Ed, I know that Rapunzel will never agree. She'll fight for what she believes in. I can sense it. And it's very true that she will be helpful. She can go around and heal people with Lucy. It'll be done a lot faster."

"If we can find Lu," Edmund said bitterly.

"Don't speak like that!" Susan was outraged that her brother would even suggest such a thing. "We'll find her. We have to," she added, more to herself than to her brothers.

* * *

Lucy awoke in a dark place. It was cold, empty, and damp. She felt as if she were rocking back and forth, almost like a ship. Lucy figured that's where she must be. On a ship to an unknown destination. Who had kidnapped her?

She instinctively felt for her dagger. It wasn't there. Her kidnappers must have taken it from her! She heard a scuffle across the floor to her left. "Who's there?" she asked bravely. Her bravery was a lie. While Lucy had fought battles and confronted evil things and seen Aslan be killed by the White Witch, she had not known fear like this. It was almost as if these people were feeding it to her. "Who's there?" she repeated.

"Shut up!" a strangely accented voice said. It seemed familiar to Lucy, but she didn't know from where. Why was her mind so foggy?

She felt as if a cool breeze had come over her. She shivered and felt more afraid than before. Lucy wondered if they were forcing fear upon her. She closed her eyes and said to herself, "In Aslan I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

"What did you say?" the voice asked.

Louder, Lucy repeated, "In Aslan I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

"What?" a second voice asked.

Lucy bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. She shouted, "In Aslan I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

"Shut up!" the voices cried in unison. "Do you want us to kill you?" one continued.

"You won't kill me," Lucy said, warmth coming over her. "You need me for something. Am I right? You need me so you can take over Narnia. Well, it won't work!" Lucy felt a presence beside her, but it didn't feel human. She opened her eyes and looked. There was nothing there, but the presence remained. It felt warm and safe. Lucy felt the same feeling in her heart. "Aslan," she whispered. As the men remained silent, Lucy continued, "Aslan, please protect me!"

* * *

"Your majesty, there is someone here who wants to see you," a friendly dwarf said. "He says that he is from the land of Telmar."

"Must I see him now, Darinnik?" Susan whined, not wanting to leave her dress fittings. "Ooh!" she exclaimed as she was poked by a pin.

"Sorry, Queen Susan," the beautiful dryad said.

"I'm afraid that he seems impatient, your majesty," the dwarf said.

"Very well," Susan sighed. "Please inform him that I should be down in about fifteen minutes." The dwarf nodded, bowed, and left, allowing Susan to be alone with the dryad. "I really don't want to meet with this Telmarine. He's probably just another ambassador from Telmar looking for a new Queen for their Prince or King." Susan and the dryad laughed. "But I suppose I should meet him. After all, I must be diplomatic and hospitable, not to mention Gentle. But maybe I'll be a little fierce. I don't really long to get married right now, especially to someone I've never met." The women laughed again. The dryad pulled the lavender dress off of Susan, and the Gentle Queen pulled her periwinkle gown back over her head.

Sighing, Susan quickly fixed her hair in a mirror and ran out the door, pausing briefly in the hall to adjust her sandals. They weren't exactly Queen-like, but she was only given short notice for this meeting. Susan walked calmly through the halls of Cair Paravel, wanting to seem confident and collected, even though, on the inside, she was going mad. Lucy had been missing for four days, and there was no sign of her or her kidnappers.

Queen Susan the Gentle walked into the throne room, where there was a tall man waiting with his back to her. He was staring at the thrones. Upon hearing her soft footsteps, the man turned. Susan gasped in surprise. She had expected an old man. This Telmarine was not old at all. Rather, he seemed to be about her age, if only a few years older. He had tan skin like a Calormene and was very muscular (or at least his arms were, Susan noticed). He had chin-length brown hair, a little facial hair, and deep brown eyes. The man was wearing leather armor with a sword by his side. It was a curved sword, like the scimitars that Calormenes used, but it didn't look Calormene. Not that Susan could tell, anyway. After all, hadn't he said that he was from Telmar? He wasn't from Calormen.

"Your majesty," he said, bowing slightly.

Susan placed a gentle and graceful smile upon her face as she offered him her hand. "I am Queen Susan the Gentle," she said as he kissed her hand.

"And I am Prince Khalil Egemen from Telmar."

"Oh!" Susan gasped. "I didn't realize that you were the Telmarine prince!"

"Didn't expect the prince to come, did you?" he laughed.

"I can honestly say that I expected an ambassador or group of diplomats. Not the prince himself. How can Narnia help you?"

"My ship was in the area and we decided to stop by and say hello." Susan could tell that the man wasn't telling the complete truth. She didn't expect to get the entire story from him today, if ever. However, Peter and Edmund could be quite coercive…

"Well, you are welcome to stay at Cair Paravel as long as you need," she said to the man. _He is very handsome_, she thought to herself. "Should I send for my brothers?"

"By all means," he said, watching her carefully. "But, correct me if I am mistaken, aren't there four kings and queens of Narnia? Maybe I misunderstood…"

"No, no, you didn't," Susan corrected, controlling her emotions carefully. "I have a younger sister, Queen Lucy, but she is, um, unable to meet you right now. She isn't in Cair Paravel for the time being." No need to alarm the foreigners that one of the Queens had gone missing. Susan stepped out a side door and called over a faun who happened to be passing. "Would you mind fetching King Peter and King Edmund? The prince of Telmar is here and requests an audience with them. Thank you."

The faun left and Susan went back into the throne room. "If it would be easier to meet with them later—" Prince Khalil began, but was interrupted by Susan.

"Oh, no, whatever they're doing is most likely unimportant," said Susan. She felt her 'flirty mode', as Edmund so nicely called it, coming on. "So, how old are you Prince Khalil?"

"I'm twenty-one, destined to take the throne within the year, most likely. I have two younger brothers and a younger sister. Our father, the King of Telmar, is ill and will most likely not recover."

"I'm so sorry," Susan said.

"Don't be. We never really got along," Prince Khalil said. "And your age is…?"

"Twenty," Susan said. "King Peter is twenty-one, Edmund eighteen, and Lucy sixteen. Now, Prince Khalil—"

"Just Khalil," the prince interrupted. "You can leave off the title. I've never had a particular fondness for it."

"Alright," Queen Susan said. "Then I am just Susan."

The two smiled at each other as Peter and Edmund walked in wearing full armor. "Su!" Peter exclaimed. "We were in the middle of practice—oh! Hello," Peter said to Prince Khalil. "I am High King Peter."

"The Magnificent," Khalil filled in. "And you are King Edmund the Just."

"How did you—" Edmund asked.

"Rumors travel far and wide," the prince supplied. "I am Prince Khalil Egemen of Telmar. My ship was sailing by, and we stopped to get supplies and introduce ourselves."

"Telmar is far, no?" Peter asked.

"Yes, but we are sea-faring people and don't say no to a challenge. I thoroughly enjoy traveling and seeking out new places."

"Interesting," said Peter. "You will join us for supper, won't you?"

"If I am welcome," the Prince said, smiling.

"Of course you are," Edmund and Susan said at the same time. The two looked at each other.

"Well, King Edmund and I need to get back to practice and I think Queen Susan needs to finish some business," (Susan and Peter glared at each other) "so I suppose we'll see you at supper. Seven o'clock in the dining hall. Anyone can show you the way."

Peter and Edmund left the throne room, with Susan on their heels. Before she left, she smiled at Khalil, who returned the gesture. _That was too easy,_ Khalil said to himself.

* * *

Rapunzel sat in her bedroom, staring at the wall. She felt that Lucy's kidnapping and Eugene's disappearance were entirely her fault, even though she knew that they weren't. Lucy mightn't have been kidnapped if Rapunzel had gone with her, as they had discussed so many times. And Eugene…well, Rapunzel should have tried harder to force Peter to let him go free, or at least let her and Susan decide his fate! They probably would have been fairer. Community service or a few days in prison or something! But banishment was just awful. It was almost as if Peter was punishing Rapunzel, too. She couldn't live, couldn't breathe without Eugene at her side, especially after seeing him again. The vision of her love, chained and weary, filled her eyes with tears. She couldn't stand to see him like that.

Rapunzel was tired of crying. She felt like all she ever did was cry. It was hardly fair to everybody else at Cair Paravel when all she did was cry. Rapunzel was an emotional wreck. Ever since she left her tower, she hadn't been able to do anything without getting emotional. It was all Gothel's fault. Where was the old hag anyway? The lost princess couldn't help but feel that her 'Mother' had been missing for quite some time now. Where was she?

Honestly, Rapunzel didn't care. She had seen enough of Gothel to last her a lifetime. The only reason she may have even slightly cared was so that Gothel couldn't harm her friends. But Rapunzel was sick and tired of worrying about Gothel. She was sick and tired of crying, too.

The blonde vowed to stop crying so much. Surely everyone else was getting tired of it, too. Rapunzel longed to be with Eugene. Those two days with him had been the best days ever, and even though they ended roughly, she wished that she could relive them over and over again, just so she could be really happy again. There were just so many problems in Narnia! First the attacks, and now Lucy… Rapunzel wondered if Gothel might be behind the kidnapping. As payback for Rapunzel's disappearance, hold one of the Queens hostage and demand her daughter's return. Was Gothel even alive anymore? How long could she live without Rapunzel's hair? Rapunzel couldn't remember the woman being physically old, but she did sing to her every day for eighteen years. How much of Rapunzel's power was stored in Gothel's aged body? Maybe it would run out soon and Gothel would die without any hassle. But if it didn't…Rapunzel didn't know what to do.

* * *

Susan went to the treasure chamber to try and locate Lucy's gifts from Father Christmas. She had a feeling that she needed to protect them. The Gentle Queen could only hope that Aslan was giving her this feeling and she wasn't being paranoid. As Susan walked down the dark stairs, she immediately sensed that something was off. She entered the brightly-lantern lit treasure chamber and looked around, but she saw nothing different than when she had last been down here. She cautiously approached Lucy's chest and stood before it.

The Gentle Queen had always wondered why Lucy kept her cordial and dagger down here. She knew that Lucy wanted to protect her gifts, but it would be much safer and more convenient to keep them in her room.

"I don't really need them unless someone gets hurt or we go into battle," Lucy had explained at one point. "I don't want to lose them, so I keep them in the treasure chamber. Plus, people would expect me to keep them in my room, and that'd be the first place they looked if they were looking for my dagger and cordial."

Susan had dropped the matter, but couldn't help the sense of foreboding as her fingers stretched toward the chest and slid under the lid. She pulled the chest up and stared at its contents. There was Lucy's battle garb, among other things, but nothing else. Hoping that her sister's gifts were hidden, Susan dug through the chest. The dagger and cordial were nowhere to be found. Panicking, Susan closed the lid of the chest and searched the area around it.

Behind her, Susan heard a stair squeak. Pretending she hadn't heard it and sensing danger, Susan slowly grabbed a dagger from Lucy's chest (she always had one or two extra). Holding it firmly in her hand, Susan stood gradually. Another step. Susan closed her eyes and said a quick prayer to Aslan that her brothers might come down at this moment. Knowing that the possibility of help coming was highly unlikely, Susan backed up from the chest and turned around.

There was no one on the stairs. They had escaped.

Susan swore under her breath and raced across the chamber. She dashed gracefully up the stairs, two at a time, and into the throne room above. Empty. Alarm bells were ringing in Susan's head. Unfortunately, the sky was getting darker and darker as the sun set, so she wasn't able to see anything very well at all. The Gentle Queen spun around in her tracks, and looked out at the open air balcony on the other end of the throne room. Was it her imagination, or was a darkly clothed figure slipping over the edge of the balcony? The Queen hoped that it was the former, but knew in her soul that it was the latter.

She sprinted over to the balcony, and the figure slipped over the edge. In one hand was a lengthy rope, and in the other was Lucy's cordial. The figure reached the bottom of the rope, which dumped him—her?—at the edge of a small shelf overlooking the ocean. Susan grasped for the rope, but it was yanked out of her fingers and down the cliff. Why did it have to be so dark? Her eyes reached for any sign of the thief, but she was no owl or cat. She couldn't see in the darkness. The thief was gone.

As Susan roamed aimlessly to try and find someone who might know where the thief went, part of her wondered if it was Flynn Rider. Surely not. He had gone on a ship to Galma, and word had arrived that he made it to the island. There was no way he could have doubled back to Narnia. There was no time since he arrived in Galma, and people would have seen him come back!

Susan's mind was racing as she walked through Cair Paravel. First Lucy disappeared and now her cordial? It was as if someone was deliberately trying to weaken the Narnian forces, which, of course, they were. Susan felt as if this enemy was just messing with the Narnians, just teasing them. It was as if they were trying to wear the Narnians out before they did something major. The Gentle Queen had no idea what they would do to Narnia. She only knew that they had to find out who the enemy was before they could do anything else. This was probably the longest they had ever been in a conflict without knowing who the enemy was. And Susan didn't like it.


	13. Alliances are Forged and Bonds Broken

**This chapter was fun to write. Not gonna lie. Especially the end! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or Tangled or Eugene or Edmund. *hits head against wall* Poop. :'(**

**Please review and enjoy! :)**

_Chapter XIII – When Alliances are Forged and Bonds Broken_

Queen Julia walked briskly to her husband's study, the letter from Narnia in hand. She knew that this was an urgent matter and she felt so bad for the children ruling Narnia for having to go through this. Even if King Harold denied their request, Queen Julia would ignore him. She was only seeking his blessing first. Without knocking, the Queen entered the room. King Harold was sitting in an armchair by the window, staring out at his kingdom. "Yes, Julia?" he asked without looking up as she entered. She smiled to herself. He could always tell it was her.

"A letter came from King Peter and his siblings."

"How are they?" he asked, continuing his vigil of what was going on outside of the window.

"Narnia's in trouble," she said.

He finally tore his eyes away from the window and looked at his wife. "May I see the letter?" She walked over to him and placed the single sheet of parchment in his hand. His eyes scanned the page as he processed the new information.

_Greetings to King Harold and Queen Julia of Corona,_

_I regret to inform you that my sister, Queen Lucy the Valiant, has been kidnapped. We do not know who abducted her, only that it happened. Our army is spread out through Narnia trying to find the enemy who has been attacking our country, and the attacks are growing more frequent and more dangerous. My siblings, Queen Susan the Gentle and King Edmund the Just, and I ask that you help your neighbor by sending aid to our country…_

"Did you read the entire thing?" King Harold asked when he finished. Tears filled his eyes.

Queen Julia shook her head. "I only read the first paragraph when I decided to come find you. I wanted to send out the army as soon as possible. Would you deem it a good reason?"

"Of course," King Harold said. "Other than the fact that we are legally obligated to assist because of our alliance, we must help these children that we have come to know. It distresses me to learn that Queen Lucy has gone missing. She was such a sweet child. Her disappearance makes me feel as if I'm reliving the disappearance of our precious daughter. And since you have not read the entire letter, you must finish," King Harold added, unable to conceal the happiness in his eyes.

"Yes," Queen Julia said, not understanding how he could be happy while speaking of a distressing subject.

_…On a lighter subject, I would like to inform you that we have caught and punished Flynn Rider. Queen Lucy and I managed to arrest him on our way home from Corona. He was hiding in the woods with a horse and a chameleon (The horse's name is Maximus and seems to be a palace horse. Perhaps you know of him?) a mere three hours from Cair Paravel. We have banished him from Narnia, Corona, and our neighbor Archenland. If he returns to any of these countries, we have promised to have him killed. I understand that you were hoping he would be hanged for his crimes, but in Narnia, we don't believe in capital punishment._

_And finally, on a happy subject, it seems that your daughter has been found. The girl, Rapunzel, that I mentioned being in Narnia while Queen Lucy and I were in Corona is Corona's lost princess. She was locked in a tower for eighteen years before she was rescued by none other than Flynn Rider. He escorted her to see the flying lanterns on her birthday, but he was arrested and she was taken back to her tower by her 'Mother', an old woman named Gothel. Rapunzel is in Narnia, though I find that she seems to be in love with Flynn Rider, or Eugene Fitzherbert, as she calls him. Eugene Fitzherbert is Rider's birth name, apparently. However, your daughter is safe in Cair Paravel. She is good friends with Queen Susan and King Edmund._

_My fellow monarchs and I would greatly appreciate it if you would come to Narnia. You could stay in Cair Paravel for a while, and meet your daughter, as odd as that sounds. Please send word immediately, if you wish to come._

_Sincerely,_

_High King Peter the Magnificent_

_High King of Narnia, Emperor of the Lone Islands, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion_

Queen Julia could barely keep from crying as she finished the letter. "Why did King Peter call her Rapunzel?"

"I can only assume that Helene doesn't know that her name is Helene. What if this Gothel woman who kidnapped her changed her name so Helene, er, Rapunzel wouldn't know?"

"I suppose it makes sense," Queen Julia said. "Oh, I just can't stop from feeling so ecstatic that we finally have our daughter back! Well, we will as soon as we go to Narnia and get her! She can come home with us and live here and the people will be so happy! I must admit, I am concerned that she seems to be in love with Flynn Rider, er, Eugene Fitzherbert. What do you think, my dear?"

"He seems to be the second person she ever met in her lifetime that she can remember. It seems natural that she would 'love' him. She probably just didn't know any different and she was confused. The feelings will pass, I'm sure. Now, I'm going to write a letter to King Peter to tell him that we will be coming to Narnia. I'm sure we can find somebody to rule in our absence. Of course, the country will be fine on her own, don't you think?"

Queen Julia nodded, and left her husband after kissing his cheek. She had to go prepare a chamber for her daughter once they returned with her. Queen Julia was ecstatic! Her daughter was safe! Her daughter was alive! And Queen Julia didn't care that her daughter's name was Rapunzel. It didn't bother her one bit.

* * *

Lucy couldn't sleep. No matter how hard she tried, the tossing and turning of the waves in the storm kept her tossing and turning all night. Not that she was that comfortable to begin with. Whoever had kidnapped her—she still didn't know—wasn't exactly concerned with her general comfort and happiness. The Valiant Queen—who wasn't feeling so valiant at the time—had been on ships many times. She had been in storms worse than this. But this storm was frightening because she didn't know where she was going and what dangers lay ahead.

The Queen knew that it must have been in Aslan's plan for this to happen, but that didn't make it any easier for her to cope. She was extremely stressed out, and felt even more stress come upon her as she thought of how stressed her siblings and friends must be.

Having been on long journeys on the sea multiple times, she knew that after three days (and she knew the days because of when they fed her and when the light would come through the cracks and when she heard certain sounds), they had arrived in Galma. The ship was docked for a day, and then they journeyed on. They had been moving for two weeks beyond that. Lucy had no idea where they were now. It unnerved her. She had lost her sense of direction a long time ago, and now she had no idea if they were sailing east, west, north, or south, and the storm didn't help that either.

She had never felt so lost in her life, even when they were travelling through the Western Wood and across Narnia to Aslan's camp when they first came to Narnia. Lucy felt afraid. What would these men do to her? What was going on?

Lucy jumped at the sound of a loud thud from somewhere up above. _That was unexpected,_ she said to herself. Then the door above opened and down the rickety stairs came three men: the two men who kidnapped her, and another prisoner. _Oh no! What if they've doubled back to Narnia and captured Peter or Edmund?_ Lucy was frantic. The two men threw the prisoner into the shadows. She didn't hear a moan or a grunt, so Lucy assumed that the man was unconscious. She hoped that it wasn't one of her brothers. But returning to Cair Paravel and taking another Pevensie hostage would only increase the chances that the Narnians would surrender the land or the crown, or pay a lofty ransom. And if Peter or Edmund had been taken, Susan wouldn't know what to do. It was more likely that Peter would be killed on sight, since he was High King. And if Peter was dead and Edmund was being held hostage, Susan would give in immediately. Susan wasn't good at this sort of thing.

The men disappeared and Lucy was once more submerged in darkness. She felt a little wary with the thought of not being alone anymore. What was happening? Who was that man?

Lucy didn't know how much time had passed before she heard movement on the other side of the cargo hold. Whoever was over there had woken up. "Where is the damn pin?" Queen Lucy heard the man say. "Ah." She heard more scuffling and then saw the outline of a dark figure stand. "Queen Lucy, where are you?"

_Why does that voice seem slightly familiar?_ Lucy asked herself. "I'm over here," she said aloud. Her voice was scratchy and hoarse from the lack of use. It felt strange to talk. "Who are you?" she asked.

The man walked over to her. "Eugene Fitzherbert. But I think you know me as Flynn Rider."

Lucy's mouth fell open. Good thing he couldn't see her very well. "How are you here?"

"Well, I was in Galma, trying to figure out where to go"—he sat down next to her—"and saw a ship headed to Telmar. I figured that I'd go there. And then I heard one man say that they had Queen Lucy onboard. Rumors had been flying all over Galma that Queen Lucy had been kidnapped, so I knew that I needed to get on that ship. It was not for a while before they realized that I was a threat to their master plan."

Lucy's mind was working harder and faster than ever before. "So we're on a Telmarine ship?"

"Yes."

"So that's who's been attacking Narnia! It all makes so much sense now!" Lucy exclaimed. "We have to get off this ship!"

"We're in the middle of the ocean, Queen Lucy," Eugene sighed. "If we jump, we'll have to swim, and its storming, and we're weeks away from Narnia. Getting off this ship is a death wish."

"And so is staying on it!" Lucy exclaimed, exasperated. "Look, Mr. Rider—"

"Eugene," the man interrupted.

"What?"

"My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. Flynn Rider is just an alias that I made up as a kid."

"Oh…well, Mr. Fitzherbert, we can't just sit here and do nothing."

"Yes, we can. If we can make it all the way to Telmar, then we can find out what's going on and somehow get word back to Narnia."

"But we don't even know how far Telmar is!"

"It's close enough that the entire journey one way takes about seven weeks. Look, Queen Lucy, I know that you don't like me or trust me, but I'm sorry. I was an idiot back then. Now, I have a purpose and meaning in life, other than just getting rich and buying my own island and living alone, surrounded by enormous piles of money." Lucy was surprised at the amount of detail in that dream of his. "But now, I have something that is actually moving me forward. And I have to get back to her. So are we going to work together?"

Lucy looked at Eugene warily. She didn't trust him—not yet, anyway—but there was something in his voice that made her want to believe him. She took his extended hand and gave it a firm shake. "We'll work together and get back to Narnia."

* * *

Susan and Edmund looked out over the lands of Narnia. Susan liked to imagine that she could see all the way to the Lantern Waste, but she knew she could not. Edmund had brought his older sister here to a secluded balcony to discuss Narnia's fate. The Just King had become increasingly worried about Narnia over the last few weeks since Lucy's disappearance.

"Why are we here, Ed?" Susan asked.

"Peter's judgment has been impaired," Edmund explained. "We both know that Lucy was always his favorite, and, honestly, he will always love her a little more than us and trust her a little more that the two of us. I was always the black sheep of the family, and you were always so independent. He didn't ever have to look after either of us. Peter still doesn't. He's going to fret over Lucy until we find her. His won't be thinking rightly, and he will act rash until we figure everything out. The two of us won't be able to challenge his decisions without him being suspicious and growing angry. You know how he is, Susan. He'll think we don't care about Lucy, which isn't true, but we also have the rest of Narnia to care about too."

"You were always the wisest of us all, Edmund," Susan said, smiling. "And I know you're right."

"The only thing we can do is send him away from Narnia. He won't like it, especially since we don't know who's attacking Narnia and the attacks are getting more and more dangerous, but Peter is going to make things worse if he stays in complete control here. Let's tell Peter to go to Tashbaan and make sure that nothing is going on there."

"He'll put you in control," Susan said, catching onto Edmund's plan, "and then you and I will be able to protect Narnia the right way."

"No."

"No?"

"He'll put you in control."

Susan rolled her eyes. "Please. We both know that he trusts you over me. Peter and I have never seen exactly eye to eye on everything. He'll put you in charge of Narnia."

"But then I'll make you in charge."

"Why?" Susan asked.

"Because I think that you should be in charge. It feels right. Of the two of us, you are better suited to reign over Narnia. I'll just follow your orders."

"Oh, please, Edmund. We both know that's a lie. I'm awful at this sort of thing. If anything, you'll help me. Now, let's go tell Peter that he's going to Tashbaan. Or should we send him to Harfang?"

"I don't think it matters, Su," Edmund said sullenly. "He won't want to go to either unless we make him think that Lucy's there."

Susan chose her next words carefully. "Do you think she is?"

Edmund was silent for a long time. "Honestly…no. I have no idea where she is, but I know it wasn't the Giants, and I am almost completely sure it wasn't the Calormenes for once. I don't have a clue who could be attacking us, but I don't think it was the Calormenes. We would know if it was them. I'm even beginning to wonder if these people even exist at all. They attack populated areas at least twice a week, and then they disappear. And no one seems to see them before or after the fact."

"Perhaps a Dryad uprising?" Susan suggested.

Edmund shook his head. "The trees are too peaceful. I understand that there were Dryads who were loyal to the White Witch, but these attacks aren't within the Dryads' personalities. While it seems the easiest solution, it's not them."

"I don't know how you keep all this information in your head at one time, Ed," Susan said, amazed at her brother's ability.

"You do it, too, Su. While the information in my head is strategic and has to do with battle, the information in your head is actually intellectual and practical. You've always been the smartest of all of us."

Susan smiled to herself. "Thanks, Edmund," she said softly. More loudly, she added, "We need to go tell Peter to go to Calormen. He won't like it."

"If he wants to see Lucy again, he doesn't have a choice," Edmund said quietly. The siblings headed off the balcony, away from the cloudy sky and into the warm castle, where they sought out their brother. "Neither do we. I say that once Peter is a good distance from Narnia, we send out the armies and end this once and for all."

"Peter won't like it. You know that he'd want to be here if we go to war."

"And he will be. Just not at the start. Come on, Su, we both know that these people are planning something extreme. While their attacks are growing more common and closer to Cair Paravel, they are getting smaller and smaller. We know that they aren't losing numbers; they're planning a major battle. They're going to attack Cair Paravel soon, if we don't stop them."

"I see," Susan said grimly. "We don't have a choice. It's war or…well, war." Edmund was silent as they continued through Cair Paravel. "How is Rapunzel?"

Edmund sighed. "She's good, I suppose. I haven't really seen her in few weeks. Other than some meals and running around the Cair, we've been avoiding each other. She's still upset about Eugene," he said bitterly. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so unhappy."

"I have," Susan said before she thought of the impact of her words. Her eyes met Edmund's, and they both flicked away immediately. Susan had made a promise to herself that she would never mention Edmund's betrayal, but sometimes, she would forget and couldn't help it. But Susan knew that she was right. Edmund had been extremely unhappy before he was crowned the Just King of Narnia. He had been bitter and angry until he had seen how evil the White Witch and the world were. He had repented and trusted in Aslan. Susan was grateful for it. While she had gotten somewhat along with the old Edmund, she was even closer to the new Edmund. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's true," Edmund said quietly, his eyes downcast. "We both know that you're right, no matter how hard it is to accept that."

Susan didn't know what to say. She merely placed her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it lovingly. "Once Peter is gone, I'll be in charge," she said, "I want you to take Rapunzel with you out to Narnia. She could get away for a change, and having these Telmarines in the castle is making me a little nervous."

Edmund smiled wryly. "I thought you and Prince Khalil were friends."

Susan looked stunned at her brother's assumptions. "Oh—I—uh—that is, to say—I—we—_it's none of your business_!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

The Just King fought a smile. "Whatever you say, Queen Susan."

The Gentle Queen didn't look at him as she entered the throne room. The Just King followed suit. The Magnificent King looked up as he saw his siblings enter. "Peter," the Gentle Queen said. "Edmund and I believe that we need to send one of us to Tashbaan. While relations with the Tisroc and Prince Rabadash are amiable at the moment, we cannot be too wary of the underlying motives that they always seem to possess." The Just King was always surprised how well his older sister could word things in order to make people listen. "I would go, but I really don't want to deal with Prince Rabadash right now. And since Prince Khalil of Telmar is currently residing at Cair Paravel, I feel that I must do my duty as a good hostess and remain here. As for Edmund, he would much rather remain at Cair Paravel for the time being. And it would do you some good to get away from the Cair for a while, Peter."

The High King seemed to quarrel with himself internally for a few moments, but then he said, "Yes. King Edmund will be in charge—"

"No, Peter," Edmund interrupted. "Queen Susan will be put in charge."

"What?" Peter asked.

"I've been thinking of doing some travelling. I would like to go to the Stone Table. I feel like that's where I should be right now." All three siblings were surprised by Edmund's words. "Therefore, Susan should be in charge."

"Alright," Peter said. "I'll leave as soon as the King and Queen of Corona leave."

"What?" Edmund and Susan asked at the same time.

"They're coming tomorrow. Or they should arrive tomorrow if nothing goes wrong. How could you have forgotten?"

Neither of the middle children knew. Each remembered being told of the King and Queen coming, but they had forgotten with the stress of the time being. "Does Rapunzel know?" Edmund asked.

"We've informed her, but that doesn't mean anything," Peter said. "She's been very reclusive for the last few weeks."

"It's not her fault!" Edmund said more loudly than was needed.

"Calm down, Ed," Susan said gently. "It's not anybody's fault." Edmund looked positively irate for a few seconds, but then heeded his sister's words. "Well, I'm going to write to Prince Khalil. We've been writing back and forth since he left a few weeks ago and his letter arrived yesterday," Susan said, and left the throne room, sensing that there were words that needed to be said between the two brothers. While part of her felt that she may be needed as a mediator, Susan knew that the brothers wouldn't kill each other. And even if they did begin a brawl, word travelled fast enough so that Susan would most likely know immediately.

As soon as the Queen of Narnia was gone, Peter said, "Why do you still care for her, Edmund?"  
"Because she needs me," he answered. Edmund didn't know where that came from.

"We both know that's not true," Peter said quickly. "Look, Ed, I know that you think she needs to be taken care of, but, honestly, she doesn't need it. I didn't tell you this, but she was leaving the night that Flynn Rider left. I caught her sneaking out just before Lucy was…before Lucy disappeared. I convinced her to stay—"

"Well, of course, as she is your future _wife!_" Edmund exclaimed. "And you just care about her _so much_!"

"What do you mean?" Peter asked, temper rising.

"By the Mane, Peter!" Edmund shouted. "Do you really think you're fooling anyone here? You do realize that when her parents arrive tomorrow, you will most likely have to marry Rapunzel or she'll go home with them?"

"This isn't about me at all, is it?" shouted Peter. "You're so selfish, Edmund Pevensie! You're afraid that you're going to lose her, aren't you? Well, that's too bad because you're going to lose her no matter what! You do realize that, right? Or are you so caught up in your lovesick daydreams to realize that she isn't going to be able to stay with you forever like you had hoped? She doesn't love you. She loves Flynn Rider—"

"Eugene Fitzherbert," Edmund mumbled under his breath.

"—and she'll never stop loving him. So you're either going to lose her to him or her parents."

"And not you?" Edmund asked.

"Honestly, I don't care. I thought she was dead."

"Of course. I bet you _wish_ she was dead! It would make everything in your life so much easier!"

"Oh, shut up, Ed," Peter said, finally walking down from the dais and to his younger brother. "I only agreed to the marriage so we could have an alliance with Corona!"

"You never think about anyone but yourself—"

"Neither do you! Grow up, Edmund! For once, think about the greater good and not your own childish affairs."

"I'm not a child, Peter!" Edmund bellowed. "And you're not the only King of Narnia! So stop being so selfish and think about your siblings for once!"

"I am thinking about my siblings—"

"Other than Lucy! You've never liked Susan and me as much as Lu. The two of us have never said anything before, but here it is: Lucy loves you because you protect her and because you have always taken care of her. Susan agrees with everything you do because she is loyal. That's her thing. That's what she does. She's loyal. And me…you're my older brother. I'm supposed to look up to you. And you're the High King. I do what you say and don't complain unless you're doing something really stupid, which you are now. Narnia is falling through the cracks because you're obsessed with finding Lucy. I, too, think we need to find our little sister, but you're forgetting Aslan in the process. He made you King of Narnia. You need to protect your lands."

The Just King knew that his words were lost on his brother's deaf ears as soon as Peter said: "Edmund, why are you always complaining—" Edmund cast his brother a glare, turned on his heel, and stormed out of the throne room, leaving behind an emptiness of wrath and despair.

Just before he left the room completely, he turned and said, "Hopefully, you'll be able to find Lucy in Calormen. Or go wherever you need to in order to find her. Susan and I will be able to take care of Narnia on our own." And then he was gone.


	14. Rapunzel's Worries and Lucy's Hopes

**Hi! :) So I'm currently writing the second to last chapter. I can't decide if I'm sad or a little relieved...The current word count is 62,720. That is more than I could have ever hoped for this story, and I'm not even done yet! :)**

**Okay, so there's some stronger religious themes in this. If you don't want to read it, skip the part with Lucy and Eugene at the end. There's nothing really plot-important there; it's pretty much filler but I wanted to include it because Lucy and Eugene are talking about Aslan. I mean, I hope you don't skip it, but it's not really super, life-changing important (well, actually...). Anyway, this is a really slow chapter and it's really wordy and the end is kind of awkward-ish, so I'll try and update with a more interesting chapter tomorrow! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled or Narnia. Surely you know that by now. :( Please enjoy and review! :)**

**UPDATE: I fixed a typo. Thanks splattermusic! :)**

_Chapter XIV – Rapunzel's Worries and Lucy's Hopes_

Rapunzel paced her bedroom floor. Pascal stared at her from the vanity. The rug on the floor had begun to show wear from her constant pacing for the last twenty-four hours. Ever since Susan had informed her that the King and Queen of Corona were only a day away, give or take half a day or so, she had been going insane with worry. She jumped as she heard Susan's voice from the other side of the door.

"Rapunzel?"

"Come in," she replied meekly.

The door opened slowly and Susan walked in, carefully shutting the door behind her. As Susan sat on the vanity chair (looking uncomfortably at Pascal in the process), Rapunzel returned to her pacing. The princess sighed audibly. "Are you okay?" Susan asked, somewhat worried for her friend's sanity.

"Terrified," Rapunzel said in a small voice. She paused from her pacing and looked from the Queen to the floor.

"Why?" Susan asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I've been looking out a window for eighteen and a half years, _dreaming _about what it might feel like to have a real family. I mean, I loved my moth—Gothel…but I always wanted to have a real family, who didn't care what I looked like or how I acted or if I had a best friend who happened to be a chameleon. What if it's not everything that I dreamed it would be?"

"It will be," Susan said confidently.

"And what if it is?" Rapunzel asked carefully.

"That's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream."

Rapunzel gave a little laugh. She felt an extreme sense of déjà vu. Had Eugene said the same thing to her on the boats while waiting for the lanterns? She felt that it was. But the feeling was almost the same as when she had been waiting for the lights. Rapunzel had been dreaming about having a real family for her entire life. What if her parents weren't happy with her the way she was? What if they were expecting some happy-go-lucky princess-y type who wasn't an emotional wreck? Would they like her or would they turn her away?

"They'll absolutely adore you, Rapunzel," Susan said, sensing the princess' uncertainties. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" Rapunzel asked, looking warily at the Queen, who, in turn, nodded. "Where are they?"

"Just outside the grounds of the Cair," Susan said. She laughed. "I feel like we're discussing the attacks on Narnia. Don't be afraid, Rapunzel. They're not going to hurt you."

"Did Peter leave?"

Susan was silent as she hesitated before answering, "He left this morning. He wanted to stay and see your parents, but he and Edmund had a huge row last night. It was frightening. Peter left to search for Lucy. I'm in charge of Narnia while he's gone."

"Queen Susan! Princess Rapunzel!" a voice called. The two young women exchanged a glance and bolted to the door. They ran into the hall and nearly knocked over a dwarf. "The King and Queen of Corona are nearly here!"

Susan and Rapunzel dashed into action. They ran back into Rapunzel's room. The princess grabbed Pascal while Susan slid her shoes on her feet. Rapunzel was about to run out the door when Susan cried, "Rapunzel! Shoes!"

Rapunzel groaned. "Do I have to?" Susan gave the princess a reprimanding look. "Fine…but only because they're my parents." The blonde quickly slipped her feet into the lavender shoes that were lying on the floor. Placing Pascal on her shoulder, Rapunzel followed Susan out the door, her braid swinging behind her. The women ran down to the front hall of the Cair.

As soon as they halted (Rapunzel ran into Susan, and if it hadn't been for the railing of a set of stairs, both girls would have tumbled over onto the floor), they began to collect themselves. Susan fixed her golden crown, and Rapunzel adjusted her skirts. Oh, how she hated these long dresses!

Edmund entered more calmly than the girls did, and he looked over the women. The King avoided Rapunzel's eyes. Once the front doors of the Cair opened, the three walked outside and into the sunshine. Walking up the stairs was a party of about thirty people, with two people leading the way. The King and the Queen. Edmund heard Rapunzel inhale sharply. He hadn't realized how nervous she must have been.

"Hello! Welcome to Narnia!" King Edmund called out.

The two adults reached the top steps. "I am King Harold," the man said, and referring to his wife, continued, "and this is Queen Julia."

"I am King Edmund, and this is Queen Susan. And, of course, Rap—er, Princess Rapunzel." Edmund mentally hit himself because of his blunder. "As you know Queen Lucy was kidnapped, so that's why she is absent. High King Peter wished to be here to see you, but he left this morning to go search for Queen Lucy. It was a highly urgent matter. Narnia is now in Queen Susan's hands."

Both Susan and Edmund could see that the King and Queen and Princess of Corona were not paying attention. The three were staring at each other. Suddenly, Queen Julia embraced Princess Rapunzel, tears streaming down her face. King Harold crossed to the other side of the hug and joined, enclosing his wife and his daughter in his arms. The three were overwhelmed with emotions and sank to the ground. Susan and Edmund didn't know what to do, other than stand there and watch the happy reunion.

After what seemed like an eternity, the King released his wife and daughter, and stood. The other two followed. They were all smiling widely, glad to finally be together. "Well," Susan said, "we'll just let the three of you catch up. Rapunzel, if you want to show them to the sitting room—"

"Oh, yes!" the blonde cried. She grabbed her parents' hands and pulled them into Cair Paravel. The King and Queen exchanged a thrilled look as they tried to keep up with their daughter. King Harold and Queen Julia weren't even paying attention to their surroundings because they were so excited to be holding hands with their daughter. Soon, they had arrived at the sitting room. Rapunzel quickly curled up in an armchair, and her parents sat down opposite her on the sofa. They were reluctant to let her out of their grasp, but neither said anything to their daughter.

"So…" Rapunzel said, biting down on her lower lip. She had absolutely no idea what to say or how to say it.

"Your name is Rapunzel?" King Harold asked. Queen Julia could've slapped him for asking what their daughter's name was.

"Yes," Rapunzel said. "I know that you named me Helene, but I didn't know that until I came to Narnia, and I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I've always been called Rapunzel."

"It's a lovely name, dear," Queen Julia said. "What was your life like before you came to Narnia?"

Rapunzel knew that her story would take a long time to tell, but she didn't care. "Well, I lived in a tower with my mother—er, Gothel. She told me that I was her daughter. As long as I can remember, I wasn't allowed to leave the tower because she said that people were bad and the world was dangerous and scary. She said that people would want to cut my hair off for themselves and use it, but if it's cut, it turns brown, loses its power, and doesn't grow anymore. But I believed her. One day, I came across a little chameleon and he became my best friend." She pulled Pascal off her shoulder and held him in her hands. "This is Pascal. He was my only friend in the tower. He understood me, too. Anyway, every year on my birthday, I would always see these lights in the sky. It was the most magical thing I'd ever seen. Moth—Gothel told me that they were just stars, but I knew that wasn't true, even though I didn't know what they were. I painted pictures all over the walls of the tower and had a large mural of the lights. I just felt like they were meant for me. Does that make sense? I guess they really _were_ meant for me. At least, that's what I found out when I made it to where the lights were.

"Well, it was the day before my eighteenth birthday, and I decided that I was going to ask Gothel if she would take me to see the lights for my birthday. She became angry with me and said that it was too dangerous outside of my tower and she wasn't going to take me. She left again—I don't really know where she went—and then a man climbed into my tower! I hit him over the head with my frying pan and he fell unconscious. I stuffed him in my closet before my moth—before Gothel could come home. I asked her to get me some paints for my birthday, but the kind I wanted was only available somewhere that took a three day journey. She left, and I confronted the man in my closet. I had never met another human before, and I had never met a man before. It was exciting and frightening at the same time! But I tied him up with my hair and Pascal woke him up. It turned out that he was Flynn Rider. He had a satchel with him that had a crown in it. It felt right when Pascal told me to put it on my head, but I didn't know at the time that it was actually mine. Anyway, Flynn woke up and I persuaded him to take me to see the lights or I would give him his satchel and the crown back, because I had hidden it.

"We left and stopped at the Snuggly Duckling. At first, I was afraid of the people in there, because they were ruffians and thugs and Moth—Gothel had told me not to trust them, but they were actually very nice and helped us escape when the guards came looking for us. Flynn and I nearly drowned in a cave, but I sang to make my hair glow—I'll explain that later—and we found a way out with barely enough time left. We managed to escape and stopped that night to rest so we could make it to the kingdom the next day. Gothel found us and warned me not to trust him, but I didn't believe her. She had found the crown and the satchel and gave them to me to give to him, saying that all he wanted was the crown. I didn't believe her. I thought that he liked me. I thought we were friends.

"On my birthday, we made it to the center of the kingdom. It was the best day ever! There were celebrations going everywhere and people were having such a good time! Well, I started some dancing and soon everybody was having so much fun! And then everyone started going to the boats! Eugene—that's Flynn Rider's real name: Eugene Fitzherbert—and I got on a little boat and went out to the middle of the lake. Seeing the lanterns was the most beautiful and exciting thing I've ever done! It was the best part of my life ever! I gave him the satchel, but he said he didn't want it. But then he saw something on shore and we had to go over there. He took the satchel and left. I went looking for him, but I ran into two men and they said that he had left with the crown. Then Gothel showed up and saved me from the men. She took me back to the tower and I was prepared to live there for the rest of my life.

"But then I saw that I had been subconsciously drawing the sun all over my room! And then I remembered the two of you standing over me in the nursery and then I realized that I was the lost princess! I confronted Gothel about it, and she confirmed it, but then she decided that we had to leave. I don't really know what happened to Eugene, but I heard him at the base of the tower, calling, 'Rapunzel! Let down your hair!' and Gothel tossed my hair out the window so he could climb it. I was chained up and gagged so I couldn't escape or tell him to leave. He climbed my hair and it was too late before he realized that it was a trap. Gothel snuck up from behind him and stabbed him! He fell to the floor, bleeding everywhere. Gothel began to take me down a secret set of stairs, but I fought and fought and fought and said that I would stop fighting and I would go with her if she let me save him. So she did. I saved Eugene's life but then I had to go with her." Rapunzel was crying, but she continued her story.

"We walked for weeks and weeks. Eventually, we came across a party of Narnians. I later found out that it was King Peter and Queen Lucy on their way to Corona and to see you. But Gothel and I continued on. Eventually, we found a cave and stayed there. Gothel left to a nearby town to get supplies and food while I didn't break my promise and stayed in the cave. But then I decided that I couldn't do that anymore. I ran. Eventually, I made it to Cair Paravel with the help of Mr. Tumnus. He's a faun. Then I met Susan and Edmund. I've lived here since. It's all been very fun and exciting! And soon I'm going to go off with Edmund! He's going to take me to see the Stone Table and some other parts of Narnia. But we aren't leaving for a while, so I can be here with you!"

"That's very good, Rapunzel," Julia said, smiling from ear to ear. She couldn't believe that she was looking at her daughter.

"This Gothel woman didn't hurt you did she?" Harold asked, going into protective-father mode. As Rapunzel shook her head to say 'no', Harold continued, "And what did you mean by your hair glowing?"

"Oh," Rapunzel said. She closed her eyes and sang, "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine; make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine; heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design; save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine; what once was mine…" The King and Queen were left aghast by their daughter's hair. "It does more than just glow," Rapunzel explained. "It can heal wounds, too. That's how I saved Eugene."

"Where is Eugene now?" Julia asked.

"He's gone," Rapunzel said, looking at her hands, which were folded in her lap. "He took a ship to Galma, and now I don't know where he is."

Julia looked at her husband. Both of them saw how hurt their daughter was over this man. She must have cared for him more than they could have realized. The Queen opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the door to the parlor opening. It was Edmund.

"I'm sorry, your majesties," the Just King said, "but, if you don't mind, we need to discuss strategies and where the armies will be."

"Of course," Harold said, standing. He looked at his daughter. "I shall see you again at supper." Harold followed the young man out of the sitting room, leaving Julia and Rapunzel alone.

The two women sat in silence for a few minutes. Rapunzel didn't really know what to say.

"So, Rapunzel," Julia said, "I'm afraid I don't know much about you. Would you mind telling me some of your favorite things?"

"Okay," Rapunzel said cautiously. "Well…I like to bake. And I like to sew. And I like to dance. And I like to read and paint and run and explore. I like doing most things, actually. Susan has been teaching me how to do a lot of new things. For example, Susan and Lucy have been teaching me archery. At first, I wasn't very good at it, but I'm getting better! Edmund and Peter tried to teach me how to use a sword, but I wasn't very good at it. My hair kept almost getting cut off, and that absolutely can't happen. So I think I'll stick with archery."

"Rapunzel…" Queen Julia hesitated before she continued, "I am very sorry about Eugene. How much did you like him?"

"I love him…um, Mother," Rapunzel said, realizing that she didn't know what to call Queen Julia. It felt strange to be calling someone other than Gothel 'Mother'. Father wouldn't be much of a problem, as she had never had a father before, but Mother was something completely different. Gothel had raised Rapunzel, and Rapunzel loved Gothel, despite what she did. "I know that seems irrational and naïve, but I really do. I love him. And I miss him."

"That's understandable, darling," Julia said. "And what about Edmund?"

Rapunzel stiffened. "What about him?"

"I'm not blind, dear. I've seen the way he looks at you. I saw it when we first arrived, and when he walked into this very room just moments ago. There is something in his eyes that makes me believe, without a doubt, that he cares for you very deeply. How do you feel about him?"

"He's one of my best friends." Rapunzel chose her words carefully. "I…I _did_ like him…I liked him a lot, but I love Eugene. I don't know if that even makes sense."

"It does," Julia said calmly. She understood completely. Her daughter loved Eugene, but she loved Edmund, too. And Julia could see that it was tearing her daughter apart from the inside out. She decided not to bring it up again. "Are you and Susan friends?"

"More than friends," Rapunzel said. "Susan is like my sister. I mean, I don't know what having a sister is like, but Susan is my very best friend. Lucy is very sweet, too, but Susan and I get along so well! We stay up late sometimes, just talking."

"What about, um, your chameleon friend?"

"Pascal? He's my other best friend. I've known him for almost my whole life!"

"Now, Rapunzel, when you get back from your adventures around Narnia, would you like to come live with us at home in Corona?"

Rapunzel looked torn. "Well, yes, but I love Narnia, too!"

"You could come visit Narnia," Julia said, understanding that her daughter might not want to come back to Corona at all.

"I suppose," Rapunzel said. "Do you want to hold Pascal?"

Julia's eyes widened. "Oh, dear…no, thank you, darling. I wouldn't want to hurt him."

"You won't hurt him!"

"Well, maybe later, dear."

"Alright…" Rapunzel said. "Why don't we go see my room? I've painted the walls in there some, but it's very nice and has a great view of the sea!" Rapunzel stood and continued chattering as she led her mother out of the sitting room and through the halls of Cair Paravel toward her bedroom. Julia was content that her daughter was happy, if not a bit eccentric.

* * *

Lucy and Eugene got to know each other very well in the time that they were together. While they were still somewhat formal and stiff around each other, they were slowly becoming friends. Lucy tried to tell Eugene about Aslan, but it was difficult because Eugene had a difficulty understanding that a single Lion could control everything in the world. Eugene tried to tell Lucy about the rest of the world, but she didn't really see it through his eyes because she had always seen it as a Queen or as a schoolgirl, never a common person.

Eugene knew that they were nearing Telmar. They should have been there by now, but the huge storm a few weeks ago blew them off course, and they had to recover. For the most part, Eugene and Lucy had been left alone, with the occasional guard coming down to bring them food and water, and to make sure they were still alive. Eugene knew that once they reached Telmar, Lucy and he would be separated. If they were going to escape, they needed to have a plan, and they needed to act upon it quickly and correctly.

The two captives were eating their meager lunch in silence. Before Lucy started hers, Eugene noticed that Lucy had closed her eyes and bowed her head, as she did before every meal. When she looked up and began to eat, Eugene asked her, "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Whatever it is that you just did."

"Pray? I'm thanking Aslan for His protection and the food."

"Why? He's just a lion."

"He's not just a 'lion.' He's _the_ Lion. He and his father, the Emperor-Over-the-Sea, created this world and many others. Aslan and his father lead all of our lives."

"I still don't see how He can," Eugene said. "For example, I'm deciding to take a bite of my food right now." He did so. "Aslan didn't eat it for me or put the food in my mouth and force me to eat it. I did it of my own free will."

"But Aslan is the one who gave you the ability to eat and gave you the food."

"I'm pretty sure that a man gave it—"

Lucy sighed, "You have to think beyond that, Eugene. Aslan is the one who put you on this ship. He has a purpose for everything; we just don't know exactly what His purpose is. Please, Eugene, you have to believe me. Aslan has a purpose for you, and He loves you. I have hope in Him, and I place my faith in Him, and then I'm not afraid anymore."

"Who said I was afraid?" Eugene asked defensively.

"I can see it in your eyes," Lucy said. "But I have hope that Aslan will protect us and guide us home, though it may not be easy. After all, if Aslan is with us, then what can man do to us?"

"Kill us," Eugene said sardonically.

Lucy frowned. "But then we'll be in Aslan's Country, if you love Him and trust Him and believe in Him. You'll see, Eugene. I am determined to make you see Him."

Eugene was determined to end this conversation. He was tired of Lucy shoving her beliefs down his throat…but he did see reason in them. It would just be so easy to accept that this Lion, Aslan, was ruler over all. But Eugene was stubborn and he didn't want to give in that easily. It wasn't in his nature to just give into what was easiest.

The two sat in silence. Lucy regretted not being able to make Eugene believe, but she knew that he had been on his own for his whole life. He was used to trusting himself and not being able to rely on anyone. He had told her his life story, up until he was on the ship, and she knew that any alliances he had with anyone, even Rapunzel at first, were only façades. No one trusted each other and then they would run out on each other, as Flynn Rider had done to those brothers that had helped him steal the crown. Eugene Fitzherbert had spent his entire life running from other people's help because he didn't know when or if he would be burned by them.

Lucy couldn't imagine living like that. Her siblings and parents and friends had always been there for her. She couldn't live on her own. It was hard enough being here with only one person who cared for her well-being. And Lucy couldn't imagine living with no family. She had always been aware of the fact that there were orphans in the world, but she couldn't imagine being one until she had spoken with one and learned all about his life. How would her life be different if she hadn't grown up with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and her parents? What kind of person would she be? Lucy didn't even want to think about that.

So Lucy didn't think about it. She merely closed her eyes and thought, _Aslan, please help Eugene to see You. And please keep us both safe. We have to get home to our friends and my family. I trust you, but I just have to get back to Pete, Ed, and Su! Please, Aslan…_

And Lucy felt comfortable and safe and warm. She felt Aslan's presence. He comforted her in her time of despair and loss.

Eugene felt alone. He saw that Lucy was smiling to herself and wondered why. He couldn't understand why she felt so safe in the face of so much danger.


	15. The Stone Table

**Thanks for the reviews y'all! This one is also kinda slow, but the end should be exciting-ish. :) It's kinda wordy, but important, I guess. Also, there are some religious aspects, but just look at the title. It's basically Edmund recapping what happened in LWW, so there's nothing too religious in here.**

**On a side note, I have finished this story! Would y'all rather me keep up with the current updating schedule, or post one a day everyday? It's up to y'all because I don't really care. The last chapter/epilogue is really short, but I couldn't think of anything else to put in and it ties everythign up, so I'm just gonna let it be. There are 20 chapters and the final word count is 65, 158 on Microsoft Word. Let me know how y'all want me to update! :)**

**Oh, and thanks to splattermusic for pointing out a typo in the last chapter, which I have just fixed.**

**Disclaimer: Seriously? At this point, I don't really know if I need to put this anymore...I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**

_Chapter XV – The Stone Table_

"You have to put on the under-dress first," Susan told Rapunzel. The Gentle Queen was helping the Princess dress in Narnian battle garb for her journey around Narnia. While Rapunzel was not going to wear chain mail, she needed to have some protection in case they were ambushed. Rapunzel pulled the grayish-blue dress over her head. Susan had had it adjusted to fit Rapunzel, as all of Rapunzel's battle clothing was Susan's. "And now the skirt." Rapunzel slid the purple over her head so it sat around her waist. The slit in the front showed the blue under-dress beneath. "Here's the cuirass." Rapunzel lifted her arms and Susan placed the breastplate and the back piece together around Rapunzel's body. The battle-experienced Queen laced up the sides so the pieces would stay together and protect Rapunzel's chest. "Now you're ready to go. I've placed a few other skirts and dresses in the bag and also some chain mail, so you'll be protected if you go into battle."

"Thank you, Susan," Rapunzel said. "Will you have protection if they come to Cair Paravel?"

Susan laughed. "Well, other than the fact that we have the armory _here_, I have more armor than just this. Oh, don't forget the bracer so you don't scratch your forearm when shooting." Susan helped Rapunzel place the brown leather around her wrist. "And here's your bow and quiver of arrows." Rapunzel slung the quiver around her back. "Now, I don't know if those are as trustworthy as mine, but I really can't part with mine. I'm sorry."

"I wouldn't expect you to, Susan," Rapunzel laughed.

"But you do need to take my horn," Susan said, handing the ivory horn over to the younger girl.

"Oh, I couldn't!"

"No, I've thought it over, and I've decided that it will be the easiest way to get help if you need it. I trust you. And this horn is trustworthy. If you blow it, help will come. But you can only use it in your darkest hour."

"I will," Rapunzel said. "And thank you."

"Don't be afraid to use it if you need to, Rapunzel," Susan said. "Now, let's go down to meet the army. I had your bag sent ahead of you so you wouldn't have to carry it. And _don't_ let Edmund force you to carry it. Make him be chivalrous for once."

The girls laughed as they walked through the halls of Cair Paravel. "It's strange to be leaving," Rapunzel said. "I've been here for so many months. It's almost like being locked in my tower again, but I like it here. And I _can_ go outside here, even if it's just onto the beach or the balcony or the fields. But I really do like Cair Paravel. You're so lucky to live here!"

"You live here, too, Rapunzel," Susan corrected.

"Yes, but when I get back from my adventures around Narnia, I'm going back to Corona with my parents," Rapunzel said quietly.

"Is that what you want?" Susan asked.

Rapunzel shrugged. "I think it's what _they_ want."

"Your parents? Rapunzel, you're technically an adult. You don't _have_ to do everything they say."

"They just found me. It took long enough to convince them that I'll be safe on this trip. I couldn't do that to them. And Corona's not that far. I'll be back to visit."

"But we'll miss you," Susan said. "All of us, but especially Ed and me. Let's not talk of sad things. Like you said, you are going to be gone for a while."

"You could come, too, Susan."

"No," the Queen said, "I'm ruling Narnia right now, remember? Someone has to stay here and take care of Cair Paravel."

"Oh, yes," Rapunzel said, a little downhearted because she had to leave one of her best friends. The two girls exited the castle and met up with the army. Edmund was already there, strategizing with the centaur general, Oreius. A little over half of the army present was dressed in Narnian battle clothing and Narnian armor. The rest were humans, and were dressed in the Coronan armor. Rapunzel saw Maximus and waved.

One of the Coronan men, the Captain of the Guard, approached Maximus. His eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Maximus!" Rapunzel was not surprised to see that the guard was surprised upon seeing his missing horse.

Rapunzel and Susan continued on toward Edmund and Oreius. "Here she is," Oreius said as the girls approached. "We were waiting for you, Princess Rapunzel."

"Oreius, must I tell you every time we speak? I'm just Rapunzel!"

"Sorry, Princess—Rapunzel."

"Oh, dear!" Queen Julia exclaimed as she and King Harold ran over. They had been speaking with their army. "Are you sure you'll be safe?"

"Of course!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "I'll be fine! Other than the fact that I'll be with the armies of both Narnia _and_ Corona, I'll be with Edmund, and if that wasn't enough, I have my frying pan!" Queen Julia and King Harold looked at her, clearly confused, as Queen Susan and King Edmund snickered behind their hands. "Trust me," Rapunzel said, "I'll be fine."

"Alright," King Harold said, embracing his daughter tightly. He let her go and turned to Edmund, "Take care of my daughter."

"I will," Edmund said. Both Susan and Rapunzel realized that something had been said between Harold and Edmund that neither of them knew about.

Queen Julia pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. "Be safe," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you more," Rapunzel said instinctively, expecting the next reply.

It never came. Queen Julia released her daughter and stepped back. King Harold helped his daughter climb up onto Maximus' back.

Rapunzel leaned over and whispered to Max, "Hi, Max! It's been so long!" He whinnied and she smiled, sitting up properly. King Harold wrapped his arm around Queen Julia's waist, and she wrapped her arm around his waist. They smiled as Edmund climbed his horse, Phillip.

Susan smiled and said, "Don't have too much fun without me!"

"We most certainly will!" Edmund laughed. The group laughed and smiled as Edmund and Oreius led the way off.

"Goodbye!" Rapunzel waved as Maximus followed the King and centaur. The others called their goodbyes and waved until they were out of sight. Rapunzel caught up to Edmund so she could ride next to him. "Would you believe that I'd never ridden a horse until I got to Narnia?"

"Well, you're riding one like a Queen," he said, smiling at her.

_Why is he being so nice all of a sudden?_ Rapunzel asked herself. She shrugged the thought off and smiled and said, "It must be because I'm a princess. And because I trust Max."

"Max?"

"We go way back. Isn't that right, Max?" Rapunzel said as Maximus tossed his head back and neighed. She laughed. "So where are we going first?"

"The Stone Table," Edmund answered automatically. "I go there a few times a year, and it's been a while since I've been. Plus, I want to see if any of our mysterious enemy is there. It seems like a likely spot for them to be hiding. Hopefully, they won't be there. It's too sacred a spot for them to muck up."

"Why?" Rapunzel asked.

"You know the story," Edmund said.

"Yes, but—"

"I'll tell you when we get there," Edmund said, understanding that she still had questions and wanted to hear the story from him. After some time had passed, he turned to the blonde and asked, "How are you? Are you uncomfortable?"

"No," Rapunzel said. "Are you?"

Edmund laughed. "No, I spend a lot of time with Phillip."

"Yes, but not so much recently," Phillip said.

"He's a _talking_ horse?" Rapunzel exclaimed. "I will _never_ get used to that!"

"I thought I would never get used to it either," laughed the Just King, "but I did with time. You will, too."

"I should hope so," said Rapunzel. After a little more talking with Phillip, the group fell silent again. The only sounds audible were the crunching of leaves and the occasional chatter of the army behind them. The men from Corona were in awe of all of the 'mythological' creatures that were surrounding them. Soon, night was beginning to fall and the sky was growing dark.

Fortunately, the group had reached the fields where Aslan's army had made camp when Edmund and his siblings first came to Narnia. So they made camp in the same place they had when the Hundred-Year Winter was ending. Edmund felt extremely sentimental as he walked through the camp, despite the darkness. He always did, no matter how many times he came here. Unlike his siblings, Edmund made the pilgrimage to the stone table a few times a year. While his siblings loved Aslan, Edmund knew that he would be dead if not for Aslan. The Lion died for the boy's mistakes. Edmund knew he was not worthy to be King of Narnia.

The group built several fires and sat around, singing and telling stories. Rapunzel was having the time of her life, but soon, she was dozing off and fell asleep on Edmund's shoulder. He carefully picked her up and took her to her tent. The group planned to be at the Stone Table for several days, if not a week or more, so they had set up tents and semi-permanent residences. Edmund pushed the curtains of the tent open with his leg and ducked inside, trying not to wake the Princess up.

Carefully, he set her on the hammock that was filled with pillows. A slight breeze flowed through the dark tent, sending the hammock swaying slightly from left to right. She curled up and smiled in her sleep. Ever so carefully, Edmund removed the bracer from her left wrist and, even more carefully, the cuirass from around her torso. Once those pieces of armor were set aside, Edmund watched her sleep for a few moments, but then left the tent and retreated to the circle around the fire.

He bid the other men goodnight and retired to his own hammock. It took Edmund a long time to fall asleep. He lay there in the darkness for quite some time, but eventually, sleep claimed him and he entered dream land.

The following morning, Edmund left his tent and saw that most people were already awake and working, getting water, preparing food, and practicing with their weapons. The Just King was pleased to see that some of the men of the Coronan army were sparring with Narnians. It was good for them to get to know each other since they would be fighting together against a common enemy.

The Just King walked up to the hills until he was standing at the exact spot where he had first spoken with Aslan. Edmund still couldn't believe that Aslan loved Edmund and had forgiven him, despite the boy's betrayal, denial of Aslan, and other sins. How was that even fair for Aslan to have died to save Edmund's life? It was questions and thoughts like this that kept Edmund returning to the Stone Table.

Rapunzel woke up and was a little confused as to her whereabouts before she realized that someone must have carried her here. She left the tent and looked around. The place looked completely different in the sunlight. She looked to the hills and saw the Just King on the hillside. Rapunzel watched the Just King sit down upon the grass. At first, she considered climbing up the hill and joining him, but she knew that he probably needed to be alone for a while. She simply watched him, but looked away as a female faun and fellow archer, Christyn, approached her and gave her some food. Rapunzel thanked the faun and retreated to her tent.

She quickly ate her breakfast and set the bowl on a small table. Rapunzel grabbed her quiver and slung it around her back. She attached the horn to the belt around her waist and exited the tent. Looking to the hills once more, she saw Edmund look at her and beckon her. Smiling, Rapunzel climbed the hills, her long braid swinging behind her. She adjusted her bracer on her left wrist and approached the Just King.

"Are you up for a morning hike?" he asked, squinting in the sunlight.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. Referring to the camp, she asked, "Will they mind?"

Edmund shook his head, and led the way toward the forest. As they crossed the fields before the trees, Edmund couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked with the sun glinting off her golden hair. It was very possible that she had a drop of sunlight within her very body. The shade of the trees could not stop the sun from shining through the cloudless skies and into the forest. The two walked silently through the forest, watching animals bow as Edmund and Rapunzel passed. Edmund blushed and said, "I wish they wouldn't do that."

"You're too humble to be King," Rapunzel joked.

Edmund didn't see it as a joke, but as a truth. "I really shouldn't be King," he said softly, his dark eyes penetrating her very soul. Rapunzel sensed that there was much beneath Edmund's surface that she would never be able to scratch, no matter how hard she tried. "I shouldn't even be alive."

"Don't say that," Rapunzel said. The stillness of the woods seemed to mirror their attitudes.

"Even if it's true?" Edmund asked, meeting her eyes. "I wouldn't be here if not for Aslan."

They crossed the edge of the woods and saw a clearing. On the edge of the cliff was a huge stone table. It was cracked in the middle and had grass growing on it. Edmund hesitated a bit, but then crossed to the table and walked up the few steps. He sat on the cracked table and placed both hands on it, closing his eyes. Rapunzel didn't know what to do. Should she stay where she was or follow him? After much debate, Rapunzel slowly walked toward her friend. He didn't acknowledge her as she approached him. Ever so carefully, Rapunzel sat on the table. A few minutes passed before Edmund looked up at her. "Aslan died on this table. He died in my place."

"Edmund, you don't have—"

"Just let me talk, please," he said. "I was an idiot when I first came to Narnia. I was a brat. I was mean to my siblings and I handed them over to the White Witch because I wanted some Turkish Delight and I wanted to be a prince. It was stupid, but I did it anyway. I quickly realized that the only reason the White Witch was interested in me was to find my siblings and kill the four of us because of the prophecy. You know about that. Well, Jadis—that's the White Witch—took me to go find my brother and sisters. Some of Aslan's army, including Oreius, rescued me. They took me back to Aslan's camp and I spoke with Aslan on that hillside where I was sitting earlier this morning. Aslan assured me that I was one of His, and that He forgave me for what I did. I felt so awful. I still do. I was reunited with siblings and they took care of me, immediately forgiving me.

"Later that day, the Witch and her army arrived at Aslan's camp. She demanded my blood because I was a traitor and I was to die on the Stone Table that night. Aslan spoke with the White Witch alone. They talked for a long time. I remember feeling despair. I didn't want to die. And I felt even more and more guilty. Hours passed before the Lion and Witch came out. I remember His words perfectly: 'She has relinquished her claim on the Son of Adam's blood.' I remember feeling elated and relieved, but still a little guilty. At the time, I didn't understand what Aslan had done to stop her from killing me on the Stone Table.

"That night, Susan and Lucy saw Aslan leaving the camp. They followed Him through this very forest. It didn't take long for Aslan to realize that they were following Him, but I think He knew all along. My sisters walked with Him for a long time, but then He told them that they could go with Him no further. The girls hid and Aslan continued on to the Stone Table, where the Witch and her followers were waiting." Rapunzel could see that saying all this to her was painful for him, so she took his hands in hers and waited patiently for him to collect his words. "The Witch tortured Him first.

"She tied Him up and shaved His mane, keeping it as a trophy to wear into battle the following day. And finally, after He had been jeered at and laughed at by all of the Witch's army, she raised her knife. She was proud to be killing Aslan. Once He was gone, she could take complete control of Narnia. She raised her knife and thrust it into Aslan's chest. It wasn't long before He died.

"Aslan _died_ on this very table. He died for me. He shouldn't have had to go through all of that. I was the one the Witch wanted. She wanted my blood. Not His. Not Aslan's. He shouldn't have had to die for me. He didn't have to die for me. It was His own choice. By taking my place on the Stone Table, the Witch couldn't kill me, and I could fulfill the prophecy with my siblings. When I found out what happened, I felt guiltier than I ever had in my life. Peter led the Narnians into battle, and Susan and Lucy were still missing. We were losing. All of us were going to die, but then Aslan, Susan, and Lucy appeared with reinforcements.

"According to the Deep Magic, when a person died in another person's place, death itself could be reversed. That's what happened. And so Aslan killed the White Witch, and my siblings and I were crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia. But to this day, I have never been able to get rid of the guilt that rests upon my heart for what Aslan did for me."

Tears flowed from Rapunzel's eyes. She had heard the story before, but never from Edmund, and she hadn't expected to feel this way about it. Rapunzel didn't know what to say. She looked down at the Stone Table. Rapunzel dropped Edmund's hands and pulled at some of the grass and weeds that were growing at the cracks in the Table. Edmund helped her. Soon, the table was devoid of anything that was growing in it.

The two sat back in their places, staring beyond the Table and into the sky. "Thank you for telling me that, Edmund," Rapunzel said softly. "I know it wasn't easy for you."

The Just King smiled weakly. "It felt good to tell somebody. And I feel like you were the right person to tell." Rapunzel smiled slightly and looked at her hands. Edmund took one of them. "You're one of my best friends, Rapunzel. You should know why I am the way I am and why I don't feel like I should be King."

"And yet you are," Rapunzel said. "I think you're a great King. You rule Narnia fairly and everyone is happy under your judgment."

"Everyone except me," Edmund said.

"Edmund…I think you just feel so guilty, you aren't allowing yourself to be grateful for what Aslan did for you. He died so that you could live with your siblings and rule over Narnia. It was part of His plan. And He didn't do it for only you. He died so that he could get help for the army so you wouldn't all die in battle. It all fits together. He died so Susan and Lucy would follow Him and would gather reinforcements to save your life and Peter's life, not to mention the lives of all the other Narnians that would have died because of the White Witch. You should be grateful."

"I am," Edmund said, "but it's just so hard to be completely grateful when you're completely guilty. It's all my fault."

"Don't think of it like that," Rapunzel told him. "Just be happy that Aslan knew that you were important to Narnia. Really, Edmund…Aslan loves you and He died for you. Be happy!"

"I know you're right," Edmund said. Rapunzel knew that he was trying, but not succeeding. Edmund decided to change the subject because that conversation was going nowhere. "Are you having a good time outside of Cair Paravel?"

"Yes," Rapunzel smiled. "I love the Cair, but it's nice to be outside in the open air. Narnia is so beautiful!"

"Yeah," Edmund said. "I love to be outdoors. I don't get to travel enough. Usually, if Susan goes somewhere, I'll go with her, but it's usually Peter and Lucy who do the travelling."

"You'll have to come visit me in Corona," Rapunzel said, staring at the sky.

"What do you mean?" Edmund asked, taken aback by her words. He thought that she was to stay in Narnia for a while longer.

"When this trip ends, my parents are taking me back to Corona so I can be a princess. My mother wanted to take me back as soon as possible because of the attacks on Narnia, but I convinced her to let me go on this trip. I promised her that I would be safe, and I never, _ever_ break my promises. So as soon as we return to Cair Paravel, I'll be heading back to Corona. Back to what should be home…"  
Was that longing in her voice? "What do you mean 'should be home'?" Edmund asked.

She looked at him. "I don't know. The only home I ever knew was my tower, but now I feel like Cair Paravel is home. I don't think that the castle in Corona could be home. At least, not without Eugene. You see, he took me there for the first time, and every time I walked around the village, I would be reminded of him. I don't think I'll stay in Corona for very long. I'll just travel around the world, acting as a diplomat until I'm forced to take the throne, if I ever have to. I'll travel the world until I find Eugene."

"What if you never find him?" Edmund asked carefully, not wanting to upset her.

"If I travel the entire known world and never find him…I guess I'll just return home then. Ah, but where is home? I don't know. I guess I'm just banking on the hope that I'll find Eugene. I'll cross that bridge if I ever have to. Hopefully, I'll find him, even if it takes me years."

"What if you marry someone else?"

"I can't really imagine marrying someone else," Rapunzel lied. She knew that Edmund knew she was lying. And yet Rapunzel felt some truth in her words. As much as she was attracted to and cared for Edmund, she couldn't really see her permanently with anyone other than Eugene Fitzherbert. Whenever she thought of herself as old, she always saw Eugene by her side and no one else.

"You do know that you and Peter are betrothed, right?"

Rapunzel hesitated before saying, "Yes. My mother told me about that. That's why I so readily agreed to go back to Corona upon returning. If Peter is still gone, then I won't have to marry him. And once I'm in Corona, I can sneak out and travel the world. I have it all planned out." She knew that there was something that Edmund was keeping from her. "What are you thinking about? What are you not telling me?"

"I don't think I can tell you," Edmund said.

"Why not?"

"I promised I wouldn't, and while I don't always keep my promises like you do, I feel like this is important enough that I should keep."

"I understand," Rapunzel said, though a little sad that he wouldn't tell her.

"We should probably get back to camp. It's nearly lunch time. We can come back here later, if you want."

"Alright," Rapunzel said. Edmund stood and offered her his hand. She took it and he pulled her up. He dropped her hand, not wanting things to be even more awkward between them. The couple walked toward the woods. The sun was high in the middle of the sky, and it shone brightly through the skies. The time passed quickly, even though they knew that it was actually a long while before they reached the camp.

Once they were a little ways out, Edmund held out his hand to stop Rapunzel. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

"No…" she said, her ears working to hear what he was.

"It sounds like people fighting." And then Rapunzel heard it. 'It' was the clang of metal upon metal, and a ferocious clang at that. "Come on," he said, and broke out into a run, drawing his sword. Rapunzel followed, pulling her bow and putting an arrow to it. They reached the edge of the forest and saw a skirmish commencing below. At first, Rapunzel thought that it was just the army sparring with each other, but then she saw that it was more than just practice—it was a battle.

Edmund was about to run into the fray, but then he remembered who was standing beside him. There was no way he could send her into battle, especially with only a bow and quiver of arrows to aid her.

"Go back to the Stone Table," the Just King commanded. "Wait there. I'll come get you when this is finished.

"But—"

"No buts! Wait there for me to come get you! Promise me that you'll go to the Stone Table and stay there." It was a low move. He knew that if she promised, she would keep it. Rapunzel nodded. And without a second glance, Edmund ran down the hills and into the middle of the battle.

Part of the Princess wanted to remain at the battle and help fight, but she knew that she couldn't break her promise, no matter how badly she wanted to. And so as she saw her best friend run into the middle of the clash, Rapunzel turned and entered the forest, praying that she remembered how to get to the Stone Table.


	16. Attack and Escape

**So I'm going to update every day, meaning that we should be done by either Thursday or Friday. :) And I apologize in advance for my crappy battle scene writing skills. Really, it's quite awful. But you shall have to bear with me because I did the best I could. (I actually think the final battle-because that's inevitable, not really a spoiler-is better, but that's just my thoughts.)**

**Suggested music: For the part with Lucy and Eugene, listen to "Market Forces" from the VDT soundtrack for the best experience! :) That's what I listened to while writing that scene. :)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THIS! STOP RUBBING IT IN! :( Please review and enjoy! :)**

_Chapter XVI – Attack and Escape_

Edmund quickly located Oreius fighting two men at once. He joined the centaur and began fighting the two men. "What happened?" shouted Edmund.

"We were ambushed from all sides," Oreius replied. "Thank Aslan you and the Princess weren't here."

Oreius fatally stabbed one of the men and quickly took care of the one Edmund was fighting. But immediately after the King and the centaur were victorious, another fold of men approached. Edmund and Oreius fought valiantly. Edmund swung his sword, wincing as it forcefully hit the other man's sword. He jumped as a dwarf swung at the other man's feet, nearly hitting one of Edmund's legs. The Just King ducked as the other man thrust his sword into the air where Edmund's neck would have been seconds before. Edmund quickly recovered, but was forced to drop to the ground as the man flung his sword at Edmund once more.

Two more men joined against Edmund, so he was fighting three men at once. _Where are these people coming from?_ Edmund wondered angrily. _Well, at least we now know that they're human and not invincible._ The three men swung their swords at the ground. Edmund regretted not wearing more armor than his tunic and leather jerkin that was of the same style that Rapunzel was wearing the day before. _I hope she made it to the Stone Table_, he thought, but was forced back into reality as he rolled from a sword to his left only to be face to face with another blade. He kicked his knee back toward his chest and used the momentum to roll up to a position where he could easily stand.

Edmund turned and swung his sword, hitting one of the men in the arm, forcing him to double over to try and staunch the blood flow. At least this specific enemy wasn't wearing much armor. Unfortunately, he seemed to be the only one who wasn't wearing chain mail and a foreign suit of armor. Edmund didn't recognize this foreign army or the armor they wore. The helmets and masks they wore didn't exactly help him distinguish their nationality either. Edmund fought viciously, but wasn't in the proper attire to be fighting two or three men at once. Oreius was too preoccupied with his own enemies to help Edmund.

Thankfully, an arrow flew through the air and hit one of the men in the small gap between the chest armor and the helmet. The man dropped to the ground and the other looked around wildly for the source of the arrow. Another arrow flew and hit the other man in the side where the breastplate ended. Edmund looked around this time and saw a faun, Christyn, nod at him. He nodded in return and turned, taking in his surroundings while he was being left alone. The Narnian and Coronan armies were greatly outnumbered by these mysterious soldiers. Edmund could not have imagined the numbers that this enemy had. He would have to send word back to Susan immediately, and she could relay it to Archenland and get more help.

According to Oreius, the battle hadn't been going on for very long when Edmund returned. But already, bodies littered the ground, of Narnian, Coronan, and unknown descent. This was _not_ good. Edmund felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He swung his sword around as he turned and felt the impact as it hit another weapon. Edmund jumped back into battle mode and ducked as the man swung toward Edmund's unprotected head. The King vowed to never go into battle without proper armor again. Without hesitation, the man swung at Edmund's head from the opposite direction. This time, Edmund was not as ready. The sword nicked his cheek, and Edmund felt the blood rush to his face and slide down his cheek. His hand flew to the wound, and he gasped. Immediately, Edmund shoved his sword at the man's gut, and was able to stab the man where there was a break in the armor. The man fell to the ground, and Edmund jabbed his sword in further, and then pulled it out, running to aid an injured faun who was attempting to fight two men at once.

Edmund took care of one man, and a Minotaur ran over to take care of the other. Was it just Edmund's imagination, or were the numbers of the enemy growing? Ah, it can't have been his imagination, because over the hills were pouring more of the opposing army. Edmund groaned. _When will this end?_

Narnians and Coronans seemed to be falling faster and faster. Their numbers were quickly decreasing at a rate that would only lead to certain death for Edmund and Oreius and the rest of the army. Edmund quickly approached a man from behind and kicked him in the back of the knees, forcing him to the ground. Edmund stabbed the man in the back and watched him shudder and fall still. The Just King stepped to the left and saw an arrow land in the ground. The King cried out in surprise. That arrow had flown where his head would have been half a second before!

Edmund turned and saw a fleet of archers on the hill. They were all wearing the foreign armor. It seemed that every time Edmund looked around, the numbers of the enemy were increasing! Edmund sprinted over to a man and stabbed him in the back, just as he was about to kill a satyr. "Thank you, sire!" the satyr exclaimed.

"No problem," he muttered in reply. Edmund wondered how long he had been fighting. Surely not that long. Of course, the sense of death and blood in the air of battle made time pass strangely. Edmund swung his sword at the feet of a man who was running up to him. The man jumped at just the right time and threw his sword through the air at the level where Edmund's head should have been, had he not ducked at the right time. From his low position, Edmund was able to thrust his sword up underneath the man's breastplate, fatally wounding the man.

Just as the Just King was about to kill another man, he felt a sense of comfort wash over him. And then came the roar. Edmund looked to the hills, and saw a girl—_Rapunzel!_—standing next to a Lion—_Aslan!_

A cry arose from the opposing army as the Narnians rejoiced and the Coronans shook in their boots. "Retiro! Retiro!" shouted a single voice. The enemy began to retreat and run in the opposite direction.

Edmund began to chase after but he heard Aslan's voice say, "Let them go, Son of Adam." He stopped in his tracks and looked up at Aslan. The dark-haired King met eyes with the Lion and nodded in thanks. He looked at Rapunzel. She had her right and buried in Aslan's mane. Both sets of golden hair were blowing in the wind. Once the enemy was gone, Rapunzel and Aslan bounded down the hill. As Aslan approached the Just King, Rapunzel immediately set off around the battlefield, pressing her hair to healable wounds and singing to make her glow and heal them.

"You have fought bravely, Son of Adam," Aslan said.

"Thank you, Aslan," Edmund replied humbly. "But I do not think so. I should have been here to help from the beginning. Things may not have been as bad—"

"Do not worry about what might have been, Son of Adam," the Great Lion commanded. "It is not good to worry about what could have happened if things were done differently, but to reflect on what _did_ happen and how it changes things."

"How so, Aslan?"

"You must go return to Cair Paravel as soon as possible, King Edmund. Narnia is in grave danger. It is pertinent that you try to return to Cair Paravel before things get worse."

"Can't you stop things from getting worse?"

"I can try, King Edmund, but not all things can be helped."

Edmund opened his mouth to ask another question, but Rapunzel ran over. "I've healed everyone who can be, Aslan. There are so many people who—oh! Edmund, you're hurt!"

"What? I am?" he asked, and realized that she was looking at his cut cheek. In the midst of the battle, he had forgotten. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just a scratch."

"Here, allow me," she said, holding up her thick braid. She pressed the end of her hair to his cheek, closed her eyes, and hurriedly sang, "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine; make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine; heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design; save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine; what once was mine…" She lowered her hair and said, "There, that's better. And there's not even a scar!"

"What?" Edmund asked, raising his hand to his cheek. It was smooth. "I was hoping that I would have a scar so I could tell my grandchildren a story…"

The three laughed—a somewhat nervous laugh from Edmund, a high-pitched giggle from Rapunzel, and a throaty, growl-like laugh from Aslan.

"When I healed Eugene's hand, he asked me if he was going to get superpowers, but, unfortunately, my hair doesn't do that. I just thought I would save you the trouble of asking."

"Well, uh, thanks," Edmund said. "I guess I should check on the army then…" Without another word, the Just King travelled down the hillside and toward the men.

Rapunzel watched him walk away. "Thank you for coming, Aslan."

"Of course, Daughter of Eve. You saved many lives today."

"Not as many as I wish I could've."

"Queen Lucy has the same thoughts as you in battle. There is only so much that you can do." The Princess and the Lion looked down upon the weakened army. Their numbers had decreased significantly. Edmund beckoned the two down. "I must leave you now, Daughter of Eve. But I shall see you soon."

"Goodbye, Aslan," Rapunzel said, smiling at the Lion. She headed down the hill and when she looked back, the Lion was gone. Rapunzel sighed and continued down, standing next to Edmund when she arrived.

"We will be leaving for Cair Paravel first thing in the morning. I thought it best to let everyone rest and recuperate before we make the journey. And if we started back tonight, we wouldn't arrive until after midnight." Rapunzel nodded and watched Edmund turn back to the army. His voice grew in volume as he said, "Narnians and Coronans, we have all suffered and have sustained injuries. Our numbers have lessened and our strength diminished. But our hope and our determination have only grown stronger! We may not know the identity of our enemy, but it does not matter because we will eradicate them as we have eradicated the followers of the White Witch and any other enemy who has threatened Narnia!" The armies cheered. "Now, we will eat and gather our strength and rest for the night. Originally, we were supposed to stay here for a few more days and then journey through Narnia, but those plans are changing. First thing in the morning, we will return to Cair Paravel and plan our next move against these malicious fiends!" More cheering commenced. "Now let us eat!"

The armies moved to get their supper, and Edmund turned to Rapunzel. "You are a great King, you know," she told him.

"Not as good as Peter."

"Stop doubting yourself."

"Even if it's true?"

"It's not. Peter is a good King as well, but you have such power and majesty. It's nearly frightening."

Edmund sighed. "Let's get some food. I'm starving. Neither of us got to eat lunch. By the way, how did you find Aslan?"

"Well," said Rapunzel, "I was walking through the forest, trying to find the Stone Table because I couldn't remember the exact route and the woods were strangely empty, unlike earlier today. I was wandering around, heading in the general direction of the Stone Table, and I saw a Lion. He spoke to me, and I just _knew_ he was Aslan. We spoke for a few moments and then he brought me here."

"I'm really glad that you arrived when you did. Had you come any later, we might not be here."

"Was it really that bad?" Rapunzel asked, worry filling her eyes.

Edmund nodded solemnly. "Come on; let's go get something to eat. We're all going to need some energy and rest if we're going to make it all the way back to Cair Paravel tomorrow. Especially after the battle today, everyone's extremely exhausted."

"I'm tired and I didn't even fight!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "I really shouldn't be. I guess I'm just emotionally drained…or something like that."

The two sat down in one of the circles that were being formed around the camp. A fire was being built by a Minotaur, and food was being passed around by dwarves and fauns and centaurs. One man whom Rapunzel recognized as the Captain of the Guard of Corona sat down next to her and asked, "You're that girl who was with Rider, eh?"

"Uh, yes," she said, feeling an awkward conversation coming on.

"Why did you go with him?" the man asked. "Did he kidnap you?"

"No," she said firmly. "It was more along the lines of I forced him to take me. You do realize that I was locked in a tower for eighteen years, don't you?" Rapunzel knew that she was being unfair by yelling at this man, but it made her angry that people were always accusing Eugene! He was silent, so Rapunzel said, "I don't understand why all of you are so adamant on having him hanged or banished or whatever! He may have done some bad things, but he was a good man! And all of you are just so wrapped up in the thought that _you're _the good guys and _he's_ the bad guy, that you're losing your sense of reality and forgetting that you never actually knew him. I did," she said hotly. Rapunzel stood and said, "I'm tired. I'm going to bed now. Goodnight."

Edmund was shocked. The sun was barely half below the horizon. It wasn't even dark yet! But he knew that she just needed time to be alone. He would check on her later. "G'night," he told her. Edmund watched her walk off and sighed to himself. "She loves him, y'know."

"Who? Rider?" the Captain of the Guard asked.

The Just King nodded. "I think the greatest heist he ever pulled off was stealing her heart, and he still has it, making it impossible for anyone else to even _dream_ of holding it."

It went without saying that the King was speaking of himself. "Did I offend her?" the Captain asked.

Edmund shrugged. "It's hard to say. I think she's just upset, but she'll get over it. She's not the kind of person to hold a grudge. Come tomorrow, she'll be fine and the entire ordeal will have been long forgotten. Don't worry."

* * *

Rapunzel entered her tent silently, wiping tears from her cheeks. Why wouldn't these people just understand that Eugene wasn't a bad person? Everyone did bad things, some worse than others, but did that necessarily condemn them to eternal damnation? She didn't really want to answer that question, even to herself.

As she set her weapons down on the floor, Rapunzel felt that something was off. Pulling out the dagger that Edmund had given her in case she needed it, the Princess looked around the tent. She was alone. Nothing was wrong. Edmund and the army were only a hundred feet or so away. Nothing was going to happen. Sheathing the dagger, Rapunzel picked at the food that she had taken with her, but she had lost her appetite. Placing it carefully on the ground, Rapunzel climbed into the hammock. It was strange sleeping on something that swayed back and forth, but she liked it. Rapunzel had made a hammock out of her hair before, but that was more of use as scaffolding when painting and not so much for sleeping.

The Princess stared at the ceiling of the tent, admiring the beautiful embroidery and fabrics that had been used. And then she felt uncomfortable again. There was slight movement to her left, at the tent's entrance. Slowly, Rapunzel sat up and called, "Edmund? Is that you?" No response. "Edmund? Are you the—"

She was interrupted by a cold hand clapping over her mouth. Rapunzel gasped in surprise and fought back against the figure that was holding her, but to no avail. She kicked her legs, causing the hammock to swing, but she wasn't able to get free. Rapunzel bit down on the hand that was clamped over her mouth, forcing the person to release her.

Rapunzel immediately turned around and drew her dagger. Upon seeing her attacker, Rapunzel nearly dropped her weapon, but saved herself by keeping hold of it and carefully saying, "Don't move, or I'll scream and the entire Narnian and Coronan armies will be upon you."

* * *

Eugene and Lucy panicked as they were yanked up from their sitting positions and dragged up the stairs, into the sunlight. They had reached Telmar. The thief and the Queen winced and squinted in the sunlight. They had been used to the dark for so many weeks that it was strange to be in an environment with so much light. Especially when there were no clouds in the sky and the sun was at its highest and hottest and brightest.

As soon as their feet hit the deck, Lucy realized that they were still a few miles off the coast. Perfect. She and Eugene sprang into action. Used to fighting multiple people at once, Lucy was able to free herself and attack those around her. Eugene also escaped and pulled a hidden dagger from his boot. He quickly tossed it to Lucy—who grabbed it by the hilt expertly—and then proceeded to knee a man in the gut and steal his sword.

Their plan progressed as ever so carefully planned. Lucy fought the men while Eugene ran to the upper deck to try and gain control of the ship. If their plan failed, they would be killed, if they were lucky. Lucy swung her foot out, knocking one man to the floor. She promptly placed her foot on his back so he couldn't rise, while she hit a man on the side of the head, rendering him unconscious. Living up to her title, Lucy fought and made many men unconscious, fortunately not having to kill any.

Once there were only a few men on her side of the deck left, she chanced a glance up to see how Eugene was doing. He, too, caused many bodies to lie on the floor, but there also was some blood spreading. Eugene had sworn not to purposely kill anyone, so Lucy knew that it must have been absolutely necessary. The thief quickly grabbed the Captain of the ship and pressed a knife to his throat. Lucy could have sang and danced she was so thrilled that the ship was theirs!

She smiled up at Eugene and called, "We did it! I can't believe we did it!"

Eugene was grinning like an idiot, but then said, "I hope you know how to steer a ship, because I don't and I don't think the crew will be awake for a while."

"Of course!" Lucy cried and ran up the stairs to the deck. She quickly grabbed hold of the helm and gained control of the ship. "You might want to take care of him," she told Eugene, referring to the Captain. "We don't want him or anyone else signaling to the island."

"Will do, Captain Lucy," Eugene said and rapidly hit the man over the head with the hilt of the sword. "Do you think we'll have enough supplies?"

"Enough to make it to another island," Lucy said. "We can't risk stopping in Telmar, so we'll have to ration everything that we have until we can make it to another civilization."

"Do we have our heading?" Eugene said.

"West with as much speed as we can muster," Lucy answered decisively. "We did it, Eugene. We're going home."

"We're going home," he repeated. Lucy could've sworn she saw a glimpse of a Lion in the setting sun. _We're going home_, she thought happily. _We're going home_.

* * *

Edmund laughed at one of the Coronan soldiers' joke. It was nice to laugh at something new, something he hadn't heard before. "Okay, okay, okay, I got one," a young man said. "What did the sea say to the mermaid?" He waited for a response before saying, "Nothing! It just waved!"

There was a roar of laughter before another Coronan soldier said, "I wish mermaids were real. It sure would be something to meet and fall in love with a mermaid!"

"Surely you believe in them," Edmund said. "They most certainly are real. The Narnian mermaids off the coast of Cair Paravel are very sweet and helpful, but the mermaids out in the Eastern Sea can be frightful at times and a pain in the rear end."

"So they are real?" the man asked. Edmund nodded. "Gee, ain't that somethin'! 'Course, none of us had seen the sea before coming to Narnia, either."

"I can't imagine living without the sea," Oreius said. "While my family and I are native to the forests, we do love the waters."

Edmund nodded his head in agreement as he said, "Some of my favorite memories are journeys on the Eastern Sea. In fact, there was this one time—" But the Just King didn't get to finish his thought because a loud sound resounded through the fields. It sounded familiar to Edmund and most of the Narnians. It sounded like—"Susan's horn!" Edmund shouted.

The Just King immediately jumped to his feet and sprinted toward Rapunzel's tent, drawing his sword as he ran. The entire circle he had been sitting with followed through the darkness. Edmund leapt through the curtained entrance to the tent and saw Rapunzel sitting on the floor, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth.

He knelt beside her and said, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's—it's her!"

"Who, Rapunzel? Who?"

"Moth—Gothel. She came for me!" Rapunzel said, her voice shaking as she finally looked Edmund in the eyes.

"What was she wearing?"

"Her black cloak, red—red dress, and—and…I don't remember!"

Edmund stood and leapt back outside the tent to see the army waiting for his news. "Quick! Spread out and fan the area! We're looking for an old woman in a black cloak and red dress. Hurry! It's extremely important!" As the army jumped into action, Edmund returned to the tent and sat next to Rapunzel. "Did she hurt you?" The blonde was silent. "Rapunzel, did she hurt you?" She shook her head furiously. "What happened?"

"I came in here and laid down, intent on going to sleep because I was just exhausted, but I felt something was wrong. I didn't see any threat, so I shook off the feeling. But then I saw the entrance to the tent move and I called out, thinking it might have been you. Then a hand clamped over my mouth. I bit the hand to escape and drew my dagger. And then I saw that it—it was her. She wanted me to sing for her, but I told her that I wouldn't. I—I don't know how she was so young! There was no way! I mean, it's been months and months since I've seen her! At the very least, she would have had to have aged significantly, but she looked just as she did the last time I saw her."

Edmund understood what Rapunzel did not. "Did she have a small, glass-like vial with her? It's a diamond vial filled with red liquid."

"I don't remember. Why?"

"You remember that Lucy's cordial was stolen a few weeks ago, right? Well, the liquid in that vial is made from the juice of the fire-flowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. My siblings and I have a hunch that the power you have comes from that same type of flower. So, theoretically, if Gothel were to use Lucy's cordial every day, she would be able to remain young. Does that make sense?"

Rapunzel nodded. "I'm sorry. I should've captured her or—or something. But we talked for a while, and I was trying to distract her so I could get Susan's horn and when she saw me raise it, she bolted. I blew Susan's horn and you came, but Gothel got away! How could I have been so stupid?"

"You did the best you could, Rapunzel. And it's okay. We'll find her eventually," Edmund said. Rapunzel was crying again. "What's wrong?"

"I still love her, Eugene. She may be a wicked person, but she's my mother. Well, I know, not really, but she raised me. She was the only person I ever knew before I met Eugene. Is it so bad that I still love her? I think that's what was keeping me from attacking her. And she used that against me, I think. She—she told me that she loved me, and, out of habit, I told her I loved her, too. But then I used Susan's horn. Am I an awful person?"

"No," Edmund said, wrapping his arms around Rapunzel and pulling her to his chest. "No, you're not. You could never be an awful person, Rapunzel. You're right. She did raise you, and therefore, you feel emotional ties to her. Don't be hard on yourself, Rapunzel. It's alright."

After some time had passed, Oreius poked his head into the tent. "Excuse me, sire, but we could not find the attacker anywhere. She has vanished."

Edmund sighed. "Thank you, Oreius," he said. "Have some people patrol and guard in shifts to allow the others to rest." Oreius nodded and left. Edmund looked down and saw that Rapunzel had fallen asleep. Carefully, Edmund lifted the sleeping Princess and tenderly set her down in the gently swaying hammock.

"Mmm," she said in her sleep. Rapunzel's eyes flicked open slightly and she said, "Don't leave. Stay with me."

"I can't, Rapunzel," Edmund whispered. "It wouldn't be proper."

"Please, Eugene, don't leave," she said, half-asleep.

Edmund's heart broke. She didn't even realize that it was Edmund she was talking to. Part of him wanted to storm out and scream at the world, but he knew that wasn't right. The other part of him knew that he should stay with her, even if the only reason he could come up with was to protect her, which he knew wasn't really necessary. Despite the physical pain in his chest, Edmund whispered, "I'll stay with you, Rapunzel."

"Thank you," she said. Rapunzel smiled and rolled her head toward him. Even though she was on the very brink of sleep, she whispered, "You're still my new dream, Eugene."

Edmund didn't know how to respond, so he just lay down on the ground and held her hand as she slept. It took a long time, but eventually, Edmund fell asleep but even in his dreams, he couldn't ignore the pain that filled his chest.


	17. May the Darkness Set In

**I hope you have read the Narnia books, because you might be a little confused. Sorry this is really late, but I didn't get home from school until 8, and then I had to eat dinner and type a script for acting. Apparently, no one knows how to correctly type something in script form. Erg. And I still haven't done my current event and AP Calculus homework! It's gonna be a late night... :(**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or Tangled. I would gladly trade my AP Calc hw for the rights, but that doesn't really seem fair... :( Please review and enjoy!**

**P.S. - Sorry for not replying to reviews, but I seriously have had absolutely NO time! :( I'll try to reply tomorrow! All reviews are appreciated, I swear! :)**

_Chapter XVII – May the Darkness Set In_

Edmund awoke the next morning to the sound of the wind rushing through the trees. For a moment, he was confused regarding his surroundings, but then his memory caught up to him and he realized that he had spent the night with Rapunzel. How odd that felt… Edmund saw her hand hanging off the hammock and realized that they had probably held hands for a good portion of the night. And then he realized that she thought she was holding hands with Eugene and not him. The uncomfortable feeling in his chest returned.

The Just King silently sat up and exited the tent. It was a cloudy morning and the army was already awake and packing up. He quietly reentered the tent and started shaking Rapunzel's shoulder. "Rapunzel…Rapunzel…wake up. We have to get going so we can return to Cair Paravel."

"Alright…" Slowly, Rapunzel sat up and swung her legs off of the hammock. She stood and stretched before crossing the tent to grab her quiver of arrows and her bow. There was no way she was going _anywhere_ unprotected after the events of the previous night. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as possible," Edmund said. He stood there, watching her gather her things together before realizing that she was standing there awkwardly, waiting for him to leave so she could change clothes. "Oh! I'll, um, just go get some breakfast."

"Thanks," Rapunzel mumbled. As soon as the Just King left, she dug through the bag Susan had prepared and pulled out a red dress. She pulled the lighter, thinner skirt over her head, and then did the same with the deep red dress. It was sturdy and thick, good for a day of travel. She fastened the cuirass over her dress, just in case they were attacked on their way home. Rapunzel felt like she was dressed like a warrior as she placed the bracer on her left wrist and swung her weapons around her back. Once she had all her things together, she grabbed the bag and left the tent. She dropped the bag outside the tent and walked over to where everyone was getting breakfast.

Rapunzel forced herself to eat the entire portion, even though she wasn't really hungry at all. The time passed quickly as she watched everyone pack up the camp. She felt that she should help, but Rapunzel didn't feel like moving. As selfish as that sounded, Rapunzel didn't think she _could_ move. She was still in shock that she had seen her moth—no, kidnapper.

She hadn't even realized that everyone was waiting on her until Edmund walked over to her and offered his hand to her, pulling her up to her feet once she accepted. He led her over to the horses. "I offered Maximus to take one of the weaker men. He was injured and nearly passed out this morning. You can ride Phillip."

"But what about you?" she asked.

"I'll walk."

"Edmund—"

"It's not a problem," Edmund lied. In reality, he was dead tired and didn't want to walk anywhere, much less all the way back to Cair Paravel. But he knew that, as King, he had to put all others before himself, and that included Rapunzel. No, _especially_ Rapunzel.

"If you say so," Rapunzel said warily. She felt bad that she had taken his horse. "I can heal the man—"

"It's not something that you can help, Rapunzel," Edmund said wearily. It seemed that the cloudy skies were affecting everyone's mood. In fact, the dark sky seemed to be threatening to open up and pour down upon everyone at any moment. "Let's just get going so we can get to the Cair before it rains."

The journey was a silent one. Even the birds in the cheers had stopped singing and the squirrels had stopped chattering. It was as if the apocalypse was coming, which it very well might have been for as much as they all knew. Rapunzel and Edmund and the rest of the army eventually made it back to Cair Paravel. While they all sustained injuries and were weakened and tired, Edmund had insisted on not stopping because he was afraid that they would either be rained on or be attacked, not even considering the time they would lose by stopping. As soon as they reached the entrance to Cair Paravel, Rapunzel almost passed out from relief. Rapunzel slid off of Phillip's back so she was standing next to Edmund, and the two all but ran into the Cair.

As they passed through the empty halls of Cair Paravel, each felt an immediate sense of foreboding. They continued on, wandering why the Cair was completely silent. As they walked the worry and foreboding grew stronger and stronger. Unable to take the silence, Edmund broke out into a run, with Rapunzel on his heels. As the two rounded a corner, Edmund was grabbed and pulled into a side room.

Surprised, Rapunzel followed into the dark chamber. The dark figure immediately bolted the door shut and barricaded the door so no one could enter. The figure crossed the room and lit a candle. It was Queen Julia.

"Mother!" Rapunzel exclaimed, shocked by the haggard and gaunt look on the previously beautiful Queen of Corona. How had that happened? They were only gone for two days! "What happened? Where is everybody?"

"Narnia has fallen," Queen Julia said solemnly. "Your father…he's gone…"

"What?" Edmund and Rapunzel asked at the same time.

"Where is Susan?" continued Edmund.

"Queen Susan has betrayed us all," Julia said darkly. "The Telmarines invaded not four hours after you left, and Cair Paravel fell immediately. There was a battle, and Queen Susan surrendered quickly. Harold was injured, but we…we couldn't save him." Tears flowed down both Julia's and Rapunzel's cheeks. "You both must go. They will be searching to kill you now that they know you are back."

"We can't just leave you," Rapunzel said. She couldn't bear to lose her mother just after she had lost her father! She had only known them for less than a week!

"You must," Julia insisted. "They are after Narnia and the power of your hair, I have been told. They will not hesitate on killing you, King Edmund. Please, Rapunzel, go. I will remain here in case King Peter or Queen Lucy return. Go to Corona. You will be safe there." Julia pushed aside a tapestry. "This staircase will lead you out a hidden entrance to the castle. You both must go."

"I can't just leave you here! I just met you!" Rapunzel cried, embracing her mother tightly. Julia cried into her daughter's hair. "I can't leave. I won't!"

"You must," Julia said, carefully prying her daughter's arms from around her waist. "We will see each other again. I promise."

"You promise?" Rapunzel asked, understanding the weight of a promise.

"I promise," Julia nodded. Rapunzel and Edmund turned to leave, but Julia called out, "And Edmund, remember what Harold told you."

"I will," he said in a deep voice. Grabbing Rapunzel's hand, Edmund pulled the Princess through the archway and down the stairs.

"I love you!" Rapunzel cried up to her mother.

"I love you, too," the Queen's voice called.

Rapunzel sobbed as Edmund pulled her through the dark passageways. She was blind to her whereabouts, not really caring where Edmund was taking her. They ran into several walls and dead ends since they had no light, but eventually made it to the end of the tunnel. Edmund carefully opened the door and saw that there was no one around. The King didn't even know where they were. They were surrounded by shrubs and trees, but it wasn't the garden. Carefully, Edmund crawled through the bushes, with Rapunzel following. Ever so cautiously, the two looked around for any signs of life that could betray them. None.

The two snuck around the walls of the castle until they were in front of Cair Paravel, and were thoroughly surprised by what they saw. The army was engaged in battle with the Telmarines. Edmund was itching to fight, but he knew that he needed to get himself and Rapunzel away safely. Thankfully, Edmund saw Phillip by the tree line. Silently, Edmund motioned for Rapunzel to follow him. Staying in the shadows, Edmund and Rapunzel stood. Edmund mouthed "One…two…three!" and then took off toward the horse with Rapunzel following close behind.

The King jumped on the horse—thankful that Rapunzel's and his saddlebags were still attached—and gracefully swung Rapunzel up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and Phillip took off. They raced through the trees, jumping over logs and ducking under branches, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Cair Paravel.

"Where are we going?" Rapunzel asked.

"I don't know," Edmund replied. "I know your mum said to go to Corona, but we can't go that far. Let's just get away and then we'll figure out what to do."

"Alright," Rapunzel said. "I'm sorry that you had to leave. If you want to go back and fight, I can continue on alone. I mean, I would go back, but I—I can't. I'm not a warrior, Edmund."

"I know," the King said, "but I can't let you go on alone, either. And I don't think I could encounter Susan right now without taking her head off. What was she thinking by surrendering? Narnia _never_ surrenders!" Edmund sighed and shook his head. "I don't know what went through her head."

"Well, Susan does tend to get distracted when she thinks she's in love, right?"

"Yes, but I don't see—" Edmund's eyes widened as he realized what Rapunzel had figured out. "Prince Khalil was a Telmarine, wasn't he?"

"Yes," Rapunzel replied. "And Susan told me that they'd been in touch since he left. What if he didn't really leave? What if he stayed in Narnia or in Calormen or somewhere else and raised an army to take over Narnia. By separating all the monarchs, Susan would be left alone. He played Narnia to her weaknesses, eventually being able to take over the country."

"When I see that Telmarine Prince," Edmund threatened, "I'm gonna kill him."

* * *

Eugene and Lucy were making the journey back to Narnia as fast as they possibly could, but it still took some time because of the long distance between Telmar and Narnia. They also had to deal with the Telmarines. The captives didn't appreciate being forced to sail to Narnia, and especially being held prisoner by their own captives. It didn't take long for Eugene to 'convince' the Telmarines that they could help Eugene and Lucy get back to Narnia, or they could jump overboard and take their chances with the ocean, especially after throwing one man overboard (Eugene reluctantly pulled him back after Lucy beseeched him to, in order to make a good example toward the other Telmarines).

Lucy walked along the starboard side of the ship, running her hand along the edge as she walked. She paused and faced the ocean, staring out at the horizon. She knew that they were heading home and she was grateful for that, but she wondered what bad things were going on there. The Valiant Queen knew that the attacks could only get worse, and she didn't even know if her siblings were alive anymore, as awful a thought as it was. If the Telmarines had wanted to tear apart the Narnian rulers, they would probably kidnap two and then attack because of a weakened throne. There was just no happy ending.

Did Peter and Susan and Edmund even know that they were being attacked by Telmar? Had they figured that out or were they still fighting blindly against an unknown enemy?

Honestly, Lucy didn't want to know the answer. She wanted to be numb to any future pain and imagine that her siblings were fine and safe and together. And while part of the Valiant Queen hoped that they would be searching for her, Lucy had a duty to Narnia and she hoped that they would be focused on saving their beloved country and not on finding her. Narnia was more important than one of her Queens.

If Lucy could say anything to her siblings at this very moment, she would tell them to forget that she was missing and to protect Narnia, because in her very soul, she knew that Narnia was a great danger and that it was being harmed as she thought. Lucy knew that something was wrong in her homeland, and her siblings were doing little, if anything, to help it.

The Valiant Queen looked down at the water. It was rippling and rolling and crashing with the waves as the ship passed. Lucy loved the sea. She always had. Every time Narnia needed to send someone overseas, she would go because she loved the feeling of being on a ship, especially her family's ship, the _Splendor Hyaline_. Lucy missed her ship. While the Telmarine vessel was comfortable and efficient in moving, Lucy missed the Narnian design and feel of the _Splendor Hyaline_.

Staring up at the stars, Lucy wondered if Aslan had caused the storm that set the Telmarine ship off track. Surely it was in His will for some purpose. Lucy wondered why Aslan had brought her all the way to Telmar, just to turn around and return to Narnia. She thought that maybe it had to do with Eugene. Maybe the thief was more important in the grand scheme of things than she realized. Maybe Lucy was supposed to find Eugene and return him to Narnia. Maybe that was why she was kidnapped.

It still bothered Lucy that Eugene Fitzherbert didn't believe in Aslan. She had spoken with him several times on several occasions, but the man didn't listen to her. It drove Lucy insane the way he would nod and agree with her but didn't retain any information that she told him. His reactions were so aggravating! Lucy hated it, but she didn't hate him.

Strange. Lucy didn't hate Eugene, but she did hate Flynn. Was that possible? After all, the two men seemed to have completely different personalities. Eugene was the man who was in love with Rapunzel, and Flynn was the thief who broke her sister's heart. They were two completely different people.

The Valiant Queen heard footsteps come up from behind her and a physical being lean against the rail next to her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Home," Lucy said. She looked at the man standing next to her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Same thing, I guess, even though I never really had a home," Eugene sighed. "I guess home is wherever Rapunzel is."

"So you really do love her?" Eugene looked at her as if she was an idiot. "Don't give me that look," Lucy said. "Rapunzel and I are friends and I don't want her to get hurt. Look, Eugene, you're my friend, too! And even though I know that Eugene Fitzherbert is not Flynn Rider, and I'm not holding a grudge, but I worry about Rapunzel. I…" Lucy didn't know if she should tell him what flew to her mind. She decided that telling Eugene, who was crazy in love with Rapunzel, about Rapunzel's feelings for Edmund and vice versa wasn't a good idea. It might just make him upset and crazier or something. "I just don't want you to hurt her."

"I'm not going to, Lucy," Eugene said. "I have a bad past, but like I said, Rapunzel is home for me. I am myself when I'm with her. She made me realize that I was not a good person and she made me who I am today."

Lucy looked out at the water dark water. She liked Eugene. He was a good friend of hers, and she didn't want him to get hurt either. If he returned to Rapunzel and she was in love with Edmund, he might do something bad. Lucy couldn't bear to see Eugene upset because he was obviously head over heels in love with Rapunzel. She knew that they will have been gone from Cair Paravel for several months by the time they get back, so what would Eugene do if Rapunzel loved Edmund when they returned?

"Eugene," she began carefully, not wanting to upset him, but knowing that he needed to know the truth. "What if, when we get back, Rapunzel has…moved on? I'm not saying that she will or has, but…what if she accepted the fact that she wouldn't see you again and she found someone else?"

The man looked sullenly out on the waters. After a time, he took a deep breath and blinked meaningfully and said, "I don't know. I just hope she won't. But if she does…If she does, I'll leave again, I suppose. But I'll stay close enough by to be there for her if she ever needs me. I don't think I'll ever be able to move on, Lucy."

"I see," she said, fully hoping in her heart that things would work out for Eugene and Rapunzel _and_ Edmund, in the end.

* * *

High King Peter the Magnificent walked along Calormen's coastline. While he couldn't stand to be in the same room as Prince Rabadash or the Tisroc, the Narnian King found the beaches of Calormen exquisite. They were different from the Narnian beaches in so many ways. The beaches of Narnia were white and the waves seemed magical. The beaches of Calormen were tanner and hotter and the water seemed murkier and, somehow, more dangerous, which was probably true.

When the High King had travelled unannounced to Anvard, the Archenlanders had been thrilled to see him, but there was no sign of Lucy in Anvard and Peter didn't really believe that the people of Archenland had taken his sister. It was out of character for King Lune's people.

He had travelled further south to Tashbaan. The Calormenes were outraged to hear that Peter thought they had kidnapped Queen Lucy. So outraged, in fact, that Prince Rabadash nearly started a war with Narnia, with the only thing to stop the war would be Queen Susan's hand in marriage. Needless to say, Peter was about to start a war with Calormen, but the Tisroc insisted that no Calormene took the Queen and there was no reason to start a war. Peter didn't quite believe the Tisroc, but he really didn't want to go to war with a treacherous nation. After all, if the Calormenes had taken Lucy, they probably would've forced a ransom by now. A ransom from the Calormenes would probably go something like: _We will give you Queen Lucy for Queen Susan's hand in marriage to our crown prince, Prince Rabadash._ That would be a good reason to go to war.

Peter rolled his eyes. He didn't understand why Prince Rabadash was so taken with Susan even though they had never met in person. The entire two days he spent in Tashbaan were spent avoiding Rabadash, who was constantly trying to convince Peter that he and Susan were made to be together. "It is written in the stars!" he had told the Narnian King.

"Well, then I would know about it from our centaurs!" Peter had retorted hotly, and immediately turned and walked away. In retrospect, Peter should probably have been glad to be alive after that argument with the brutal Calormene Prince.

The High King let the seawater wash over his boots. In the distance, he saw a child playing at the edge of the waves. Smiling at the child's innocence, Peter approached the little girl. "Hello!" the little girl said as he walked up to her, sitting on the sand next to her. Strangely, she reminded Peter of Lucy, even though she couldn't be more than seven or eight years old. "Who are you?"

"I am Peter," the King said.

"I'm Aravis Tarkheena, the only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Rishti Tarkaan, the son of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Illsombreh Tisroc, the son of Ardeeb Tisroc who was descended in a right line from the god Tash," she said proudly. "Where are you from? You don't look Calormene."

"I'm from Narnia," Peter said. "You know your lineage very well, don't you?"

"Yes," the little girl answered confidently. "Are you a prince? Why do you wear a crown?"

"I am High King Peter the Magnificent."

"I heard that the Narnian kings and queens are barbarians."

Peter was not surprised that the Calormenes were being taught this from a young age. "Who told you that?"

"Everyone knows that," she said. Aravis carefully made a clump of wet sand and through it into the water, where it made a splash. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Yes. I have one brother and two sisters. They, too, are King and Queens of Narnia. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Aravis scowled. "I have a brother, but he is a baby. My older brother just died."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright. He was a lot older than me."

"Say, Aravis, have you heard anything about Queen Lucy being in Calormene."

The young girl screwed up her face as if she was trying to remember something, but eventually said, "No."

"Well, thank you anyway, Aravis." Peter looked at his surroundings and saw a dwarf walking over to them. "I'm sorry to leave you, Aravis, but my ship is leaving tonight and I cannot miss it."

"Okay. Goodbye, Peter," she said, staring down at the sand.

"Maybe we shall see each other again one day," Peter said. And for some strange reason, Peter believed it. Once it was clear that the little girl was not going to say anything else, Peter walked away from her and toward the red dwarf.

The two men walked in silence back to the collection of small dinghies where the Narnians were meeting before going back to the _Splendor Hyaline._ They were setting sail to Galma and then to the Lone Islands to find out if Lucy had been taken through those ports. Peter could only hope that they would find Lucy, and quickly.

* * *

Queen Susan walked through the halls of Cair Paravel in a daze. She felt as if she had been numb or unconscious or something of that sort, even though she could remember nearly every detail of the last two and a half weeks clearly. It was strange. She regretted everything and pretended that she had no control over the situation, when, in reality, the situation was completely and utterly her fault. And she felt awful about that, but she wanted to deny it until she was blue in the face.

Aslan would be angry. Aslan…

The Queen wouldn't be surprised if the Great Lion denied her in front of his father, the Emperor-Over-the-Sea, because of what she did. She wouldn't be surprised if she was denied access from Aslan's Country. She wouldn't be surprised if her siblings never spoke to her again, if she ever saw her siblings again.

The only redeeming factor in Susan currently was the fact that she was repenting and she realized that Narnia's fall to Telmar was entirely her fault.

And everything made so much sense to Susan now. The previous night, Susan had remembered her conversation with Aslan from months before. He had warned her that Narnia would be in her hands (_Check_, she thought bitterly.) and that there would be a betrayal (_Check again_, she thought.). Susan just didn't realize that she would be the one to betray Narnia.

By placing her in charge of Narnia and the sole monarch at Cair Paravel, Susan had Narnia's fate in her hands.

And by surrendering to the Telmarines, she had betrayed Narnia. Her siblings were going to brutally murder her if the Telmarines didn't kill her first.

While Susan was angry with the Telmarines for attacking and with her siblings for leaving her, she was mostly angry with herself. Or disappointed, rather. She wished that she could go back in time and change everything that she had done. It was all her fault and she hated herself for it.

When Prince Khalil had come back to Cair Paravel, Susan was surprised and somewhat flattered. They had attended dinner together, flirted and chatted and flirted some more, and then everything had gone wrong. A Telmarine soldier (which should've thrown Susan off at the beginning and made her realize that something was wrong) entered the private dining area and said something privately to Prince Khalil. As soon as the soldier left, Khalil had placed his napkin on the table, next to his plate, stood, and walked around so that he was standing behind Susan…

* * *

_Prince Khalil daintily placed his hands on her shoulders and Susan smiled as they flirted more. His hands were comforting and Susan liked it. She closed her eyes as he gently rubbed her bare shoulders. Wanting to seem somewhat alluring, she had worn a dress that was off the shoulders. It was a good thing that Peter was not at the Cair. But then her eyes shot open as she felt a cool metal blade pressed to her neck._

_"Khalil, what's going on?" she asked cautiously._

_"Telmar is taking control of Narnia, my dear. You are unfit to rule."_

_Carefully, Susan eyed a sharp knife on the table. Slowly, she lowered her hand as if to place down her fork (despite the fact that it would be on the wrong side of the plate; she could berate herself later for her disregard of table etiquette) and immediately grabbed the knife. Susan flung it up to his wrist and nicked his tan skin. In return, he scratched her neck, but she didn't notice because they were immediately caught in a skirmish for control. She jumped out of her chair and to her feet, wishing that she had worn something a little more practical. What had happened to the ever practical and realistic Susan of old times?_

_After a short struggle around the table, Susan reached the door and threw it open. "Help!" she cried. "Telmar is attacking!"_

_"They already know," Khalil said seductively. She jumped as she realized that he was right behind her, whispering into her ear, "Don't worry your pretty little self."_

_"Get away from me!" Susan said threateningly, holding the knife out before her. If only she could get to her room to retrieve her bow and arrows…_

_"Now, my dear Queen Susan, you are going to come with me and we are going to go to your throne room, where we are going to wait until the battle is complete, Narnia having lost, and you will abdicate your throne to me or we'll kill you."_

_"Peter, Edmund, and Lucy will not stand for this," Susan growled. _

_"Ah, but they are not here, are they?" he said, mischief glinting in his eyes._

_Susan realized that there was very little that she could do. So she immediately kicked him in the shin and stomped on his foot and dashed from the room away from the sounds of battle and toward her room. She needed her bow and arrows. Oh, if only she'd kept her horn and not given it to Rapunzel! Susan screamed as she felt the back of her dress grabbed. How did Khalil run so fast when injured?_

_He grabbed her arm tightly and dragged her to the throne room. His grip was so tight! She hoped that maybe she could find Queen Julia and King Harold and tell them to go find Edmund and bring him back, but as she was pulled toward her throne, she knew that wasn't a possibility. Khalil threw her down on her chair and she fixed her crown, which had fallen askew. Might as well look dignified to the very end. After all, Queen Susan was known for being beautiful and gracious._

_She waited patiently for the bad news to arrive, or for help to come to her rescue. Oh, why did she have to be the one left in charge? Finally, Khalil spoke with one of his soldiers and then walked over to her, grinning widely. "Narnia is falling, Queen Susan. Your army is dying quickly. We Telmarines will spare the rest if you surrender. No one else will be hurt. We will even allow you to retain your title, as well as your siblings. Lucy will not be harmed, but returned to you. Peter can come home and be a figure head, but with no real power. And Edmund can do whatever he was doing before._

_Susan's mind was fighting itself. Part of her wanted to be faithful to Narnia and her siblings and Aslan, but part of her wanted to take the easy way out. After a few seconds of deliberation, she made up her mind. She took a deep breath, blinked slowly, and calmly said, "Narnia surrenders."_


	18. One Light Still Shines

**Sorry this is late! I've been super busy! Since the last chapter is so short, I'll post 19 and 20 together tomorrow. So tomorrow will be a double update and the finale of this story! :)**

**And please don't hate me for the end of this chapter! :) And again, sorry for not replying to reviews! I read them all and thank you, but I have had only a few minutes of free time in the last 72 hours, and I probably will only have a little more tomorrow. I have my first AP Calculus test tomorrow, so I need to go study... **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Poop. Please enjoy and review! :)**

_Chapter XVIII – One Light Still Shines_

Edmund and Rapunzel lived in Lantern Waste at Mr. Tumnus' cave for several weeks, trying to gain reinforcements from those dwelling in the Western Woods. As this area was his domain, the Just King felt obligated to pull an army from those parts. Two months passed and Narnia grew darker and darker. It was as if even the sun had gone away, literally. Since the day when Narnia fell, the sky had been cloudy and rain had drizzled. Even Rapunzel couldn't find the light within herself anymore.

The Narnian Resistance, as Edmund had so aptly named the small army of Narnians living in the Western Woods, consisted of approximately one hundred Narnians, including fauns, dwarves, dryads, centaurs, satyrs, and many other creatures. The Resistance trained, fighting as if they were fighting the Telmarines. Edmund was convinced that fighting realistically would help them get ready for the inevitable fight to the death with the Telmarines. There were injuries, but Rapunzel took care of them. She had formed a sort of hospital in Tumnus' cave, with a private area for herself (Edmund had insisted that he remain with the army).

They sent scouts out around all of Narnia and to Cair Paravel, as well as past Narnia's borders. Scouts and diplomats were sent to Archenland, Corona, the Lone Islands, and even Calormen and Harfang, to try and get help for Narnia, and also to find Peter and draw him back to his land. Edmund himself was going to go to Archenland, but Rapunzel insisted that he stay and help train the troops.

Slowly, a vast army began to grow. There were enough Narnians to siege Cair Paravel, as awful as that sounded. Edmund couldn't believe that he was going to attack his own home.

Several times throughout the two months, Telmarine spies were sent to the woods, only to be captured and questioned for information. If they were helpful, they were kept as prisoners; if they were not helpful, they were killed. Edmund's reasoning was that it was a time of war and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Upon saying this to Rapunzel, the Princess had said, "Then we should blow Susan's horn! She said that it could only be used in the time of most desperate need! I think we're in our darkest hour, Edmund."

"It wouldn't do any good. Who would it summon? I don't even know if Aslan himself would come to our aid at this time."

"Don't say that," Rapunzel had pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know if it would do any good to blow the horn. Even if we did, nothing might happen and it would only alert the Telmarines to our whereabouts. Susan knows that you have the horn, and I'm sure the Telmarines now know that, too."

"We have to try, Edmund," she pressed. "I think that help will come. I have faith in Aslan, and faith that He will help us."

Her harsh words struck deep in Edmund's soul. His stomach felt empty and his knees felt weak. Edmund thought for a brief second that he was going to pass out. "I have faith in Aslan," he said quietly. "Blow the horn."

Slowly, Rapunzel raised the horn to her lips and blew. A melodious noise resounded, echoing throughout the area. After a minute or two passed, she looked downhearted. "It didn't work."

"It doesn't always work immediately, but help is coming," Edmund said, assuring himself more than her. He hugged her and said, "Aslan will help us." Releasing her, Edmund walked out of the cave and to the training grounds, but before he left the Princess' presence, the Just King turned to her and softly said, "I'm sorry."

"Me, too," she replied, staring at the ivory horn in her hands. Both knew that they couldn't fall apart at a time like this, not when Narnia was depending on them.

Edmund intended on training the army and practicing for battle, but instead, he took a stroll through the woods. Wandering aimlessly through the trees, some in dryad form to prepare for battle and some in their wood state, Edmund nodded and smiled at the Narnians he passed. They were doing so much to protect their country and their Kings and Queens. Edmund almost felt guilty for enlisting them to put their lives in danger. These Narnians were peaceful, but loyal to their land.

After walking for twenty minutes or so, Edmund pushed aside some branches and was surprised to see a light up ahead. Puzzled, the Just King continued through the trees until he reached a strange looking tree. Except for the vines that surrounded it, the odd, yet somehow familiar, tree seemed to be made of a sort of metal. And then it hit him. "Spare Oom," he said aloud, memories returning to him. He had seen this lamppost before, when he first came into Narnia and met the White Witch. "I wonder if I could find the Wardrobe…" He poked around in the trees for a while, but eventually decided that it would be better if he didn't stumble across the Wardrobe because he might accidentally pass through and not be able to return to Narnia. After all, when Lucy first journeyed into Narnia, she had come back through the Wardrobe, which then sealed itself off until later. And then again after Edmund and Lucy returned, the Wardrobe closed the portal to Narnia, only to reopen later when they were running from the Macready.

Returning to the lamppost, Edmund sat down and stared at the light. It was strange to look at a lamppost. It wasn't as if they were common in Narnia; this was the only one as far as Edmund knew. And Edmund thought it was interesting how the flame never seemed to die out. It was always burning, even if Edmund had only seen the lamppost three times. Shouldn't normal flames die out eventually? Maybe this one was magical…

The everlasting flame inspired Edmund. It shone brightly on the area around him, and brightened the gray skies. Call him deep, but Edmund felt like the lamppost was telling him something, telling him to cling onto hope that they will win in the end and not to give up and allow the Telmarines to take over Narnia.

Edmund stayed at the lamppost for several hours, staring at the never-ending flame and hoping and praying that Aslan would come to the rescue.

* * *

Peter walked through the streets of Narrowhaven, the main establishment on the Lone Island of Dorn. The sun was shining, but it was a cloudy day. He felt that something was wrong. He had been gone from Cair Paravel for months. Why hadn't his siblings responded to his letters? The High King was only going to stay in Narrowhaven for a few more days before heading back to Cair Paravel. The only reason he had stayed so long in the first place was because he heard a rumor that a Telmarine ship had gone missing. This certain ship was rumored to have some very important cargo on it, though no one knew exactly what. Peter had hoped to encounter this ship because the Lone Islands were the largest port for miles and miles. It would be utter insanity to not stop here because no one knew what lay past these islands.

Peter watched as the ground grew shaded as a cloud covered the warm sun. He walked out of the city and toward the bluffs, where he would spend his day. This was where Peter hid most of the time. He didn't want to spend a lot of time with the other Narnians or even with the Lone Islanders. They were kind people, but a little odd.

Upon reaching the cliffs over the sea, the High King sat on the dirt and tall weeds and watched the sea. It pained him to think that Lucy was out there somewhere. He could only hope that she was on that missing Telmarine ship.

Peter's brow furrowed. Did the Telmarines kidnap Lucy? Why would they? It wasn't as if Telmar and Narnia were enemies. Prince Khalil had seemed kind enough. He had come and gone and that was that. Another thing that bothered Peter was the lack of communication from Narnia. No Narnian ships, other than the _Splendor Hyaline_, had come through the Lone Islands, which meant that they weren't going anywhere. There hadn't even been a ship sent to the Lone Islands for supplies or resources or to give the Lone Islands any news of what was going on in Narnia. This confused Peter to no end. Something had to be wrong; he could feel it. Surely Narnia hadn't been attacked…

And then something appeared at the edge of the horizon. A small black dot. "What in Aslan's name…" Peter breathed. It was obviously a ship, but it was coming from the opposite direction of the mainland. There was supposedly nothing out there except the end of the world…and Telmar. Something in Peter's heart flared. Could it be the missing Telmarine ship? Could it be Lucy?

The ship was still a few hours out, but Peter could barely control his excitement. He tried to rein it in, telling himself that it might be nothing that concerned him, but somehow he just _knew_ that this was going to be life-changing.

Peter sat on the cliff for hours, watching the speck grow larger and larger, until he could see the ship clearly as it grew closer to Narrowhaven. Finally, the High King stood and ran as fast as he could to the docks. He just _knew_ that this would be important!

As soon as the ship laid anchor and one small dinghy was sent ashore, Peter knew that this was the Telmarine ship. He could tell by the design of the vessel itself. There appeared to be only two people in the dinghy, but they looked too pale to be Telmarine. The small boat got closer and closer, until Peter could see long, reddish brown hair and brown hair. A man and _Lucy!_

"Peter!" a feminine voice cried as the little boat pulled up to a dock! The teenage girl scrambled ashore and ran into Peter's arms. He picked her up and whirled her around, never wanting to let go.

"Lucy!" he breathed into her hair. He looked up at the man who was climbing ashore, and Peter immediately put Lucy on the ground. "Flynn Rider!" the High King growled. Unsheathing his sword, Peter approached the man. "How dare you kidnap my sister?" Peter screamed, pointing his sword at the thief's throat.

"Hey!" Eugene exclaimed. "It wasn't me! It was the Telmarines! They kidnapped her, and I helped her escape. We escaped together. I helped to bring her home."

"He's telling the truth, Peter," Lucy said pointedly, pulling her brother's arm down and forcing him to put his sword away. "Eugene and I were prisoners together, and once we reached Telmar, we took control of the ship and sailed back here immediately! We're…we're friends now, Peter."

Breathing deeply though his nose, Peter bitterly stuck out his hand toward Rider. Eugene took it and gave it a firm shake, showing that they were allies, albeit unwilling. "So the Telmarines took you, eh?" Peter asked.

Lucy gave a firm nod. "They're the ones who have been attacking Narnia, too. And Peter! I heard one of them say something about attacking Cair Paravel and taking over! What happened?"

"I have no idea," Peter said. "I haven't been in Narnia in months. I've been searching for you."' "We need to get to Narnia as soon as possible," Lucy said worriedly. "I'm letting the Telmarine ship head back to Telmar, as long as they don't dock here."

"Why would you do that Lucy?" Peter asked angrily.

"Because they're really quite harmless. And if they don't dock here, they don't really have anywhere else to dock that I know of."

"That's…ingenious. And evil. I didn't know you had that in you."

"It was Eugene's idea, actually," Lucy said, grinning malevolently.

Peter wrapped his arm protectively around Lucy's shoulders. "Let's go back to Narnia."

"Back to Narnia," Lucy repeated, smiling widely.

The brother and sister headed back to the small boats, followed by Eugene Fitzherbert, where they would sail to the _Splendor Hyaline_, and home to Narnia.

* * *

Susan sat on her balcony, staring at the stormy sea, with her chin resting on her fist. She was so angry with herself! Why did she surrender? Everything was her fault! Angry tears flowed down the Gentle Queen's face as she glared at the waves. Why did this have to happen? Why? Why? Why?

The Queen was a prisoner in her own home, her word the only thing keeping her in her room. Well, her word and a securely locked door. Her only means of escape were the balcony, but how was she supposed to scale a one hundred foot wall? The best she could hope for was to reach another balcony below and make an escape from there, but how could she leave the Cair undetected? There were guards checking up on her routinely, not to mention the guards patrolling the castle for unwanted visitors. Too bad the guards were the ones who were unwanted.

She had no idea what happened to the Narnians in Cair Paravel. The best they could hope for was an escape somehow. And where were Edmund and Rapunzel? Were they even alive? If they had returned sometime in the last two months, they could've been killed! But what if they escaped or didn't even return? And what of Queen Julia? Susan had been informed that Corona lacked a King by Khalil, but she had no news of the Queen. Maybe she was still alive…

Her Gentle mind was racing fiercely. Why wouldn't anyone tell her anything? Perhaps there was a way that she could find out. She could take a prisoner. She could take whoever brought her next meal captive. But what would that accomplish? They probably wouldn't even know. Susan's meals for the last week had been brought by a dryad. She had no idea how the woman would even know anything.

There was really only one thing that Susan could do: escape or die trying. She made up her mind, gave a resolute nod, and stood to walk inside. The white drapes billowed in the open doorway as Susan searched for her carefully hidden bow and arrows. Khalil had confiscated them, or at least what he thought were her weapons from Father Christmas. The Queen was lucky that she kept an extra bow and arrows in her room, just in case. She had given him the extras, and watched him destroy them, thankful that she didn't give him the real ones.

The Gentle Queen reached into her wardrobe and pulled up a hidden board, opening up the secret compartment that she had discovered years ago. Cautiously, Susan pulled up her bow and quiver of arrows. She strung the quiver around her back and closed the wardrobe. Just to be sure, Susan walked over to the door and jiggled the handle. Locked. That was good and bad. Bad because that made escaping _that_ much more difficult, but good because no one would know she was gone until her next meal, which was not for another hour or two. And if the person who brought her meals was the dryad, then her absence might go unnoticed for a little while longer, if that dryad was still loyal to Narnia.

Susan walked back to her bed, and stuffed the pillows under the sheets, so that if anyone looked, it _might_ look like she was sleeping, but she couldn't count on that. Susan then walked back onto the balcony and shut the doors behind her. "Now, how do I do this?" Susan asked herself quietly.

She looked over the railing and saw the long drop until the next roof, which should be above the throne room, if she had her calculations correct. Susan had heard stories of how people were able to scale walls using arrows, but she knew that it was much more difficult going down than up. If only she had seventy feet of hair…

Well, there was no other way down, so Susan pulled two arrows out of her quiver and sat on the balcony, swinging one leg over. This was going to be difficult. She leaned down and stuck one arrow into the white wall. It was easier said than done, but not impossible. As she made sure the arrow was firmly in the stone, she whispered, "For Narnia!" And as she repeated the process with a second arrow, she breathed, "And for Aslan!"

And she swung herself down.

It was frightening. Thank Aslan her arms were strong enough to support her weight. Susan hoped that her arm muscles were strong enough to support her weight for the whole time. Aiming to strike where there were cracks or weaker spots in the stone wall, Susan jammed the arrows in the castle, slowly lowering herself.

It took a very, very long time, but Susan eventually found a system with only a few slips and near-death moments. She chanced a look down and saw that she was only about ten feet from the roof. She pulled one arrow out of the stone and placed it expertly in her quiver. Susan took a deep breath before pulling the second arrow out of the wall and free-falling to the roof.

Rolling her foot, toe-ball-heel, and bending her knees upon impact, Susan hoped that her jump was silent, or quiet enough that no one would notice the thud above them. She winced as she heard the thump on the roof, and prayed that no one would come and check anything or walk out onto the balcony. Susan placed the other arrow in her quiver and gingerly walked to the edge of the roof. She peered down to the balcony below. It was empty.

"Here goes nothing…" she muttered to herself as she jumped down to the next balcony. She repeated her earlier motions to silence the fall, but immediately stood back up to gather her surroundings and find out who was in the throne room. It was empty. Susan let out a breath she hadn't realized that she'd been holding.

The Queen walked into the throne room and left it immediately, slinking through the halls as silently as possible in order to not attract attention to herself. After a few close calls and an encounter with Khalil himself, Susan reached a side entrance to the castle. She left through the door and breathed in the fresh air. How nice it felt to be free.

Susan snuck around the Cair and through the grounds until she reached the stables. She was glad to see that her horse, Emmalyse, was still there. Susan didn't bother saddling the mare, only sneaking her out of the stall and out of the empty stable. But then she encountered trouble.

Two soldiers were walking away from the stables to the practice field. They hadn't noticed her, but Susan could tell that they were Telmarines and not Narnians. She quickly drew her bow and an arrow from her quiver and placed the arrow to the string. The Gentle Queen hated killing people, but it was sometimes necessary, especially if she needed to escape from Cair Paravel unnoticed. She released the string, and the arrow lodged itself in the back of the man's unprotected head. His companion immediately turned, but an arrow soon lodged itself in his hamstring, causing the man to fall to the ground in pain.

The Queen immediately kicked her horse into motion and the two raced past the men and into the trees, deliberately heading east to send the watching Telmarines off their trail. Susan knew that it would be too good to be true to get past the guards, so she decided that creating a false lead would be beneficial. After racing through the woods for about twenty minutes, she turned her horse and they immediately headed to the west. If she knew her brother, Edmund would most likely be in the Western Woods, where he was duke.

* * *

Bow and arrows in hand, Rapunzel marched to the practice field. From the reports that they had gotten back from their scouts saying that Narnia had surrendered, a battle was inevitable. And since they had formed a Resistance to the Telmarine rule, Rapunzel figured that she might as well use her resources and practice so she could fight and defend herself.

As soon as she was a good distance from the targets, Rapunzel raised her bow and placed an arrow to the string. Pulling back, holding, and then releasing the string, Rapunzel heard the sharp sound as the arrow split the arrow, and then the thud as the arrow hit the target. It was a little off center, but it wasn't bad for the distance. Rapunzel released a few more arrows, and then retrieved the arrows she had already shot.

She was soon bored, so Rapunzel put two arrows to the string and let them both fly at once, just to see what would happen. Not as accurate as just one arrow, but still good results. She tried again with three. Pretty much the same outcome.

But she was bored of that, too, soon, so Rapunzel aimed at a pinecone high in a tree. It was swinging slightly in the breeze, but Rapunzel knew that shouldn't affect her shot too much. Carefully, Rapunzel aimed her arrow at the pinecone, and shot. It missed the pinecone by about two feet, and arched over the branches and into the grass. She sighed, frowned, and headed to the arrow to pick it up so she wouldn't forget about it later. But before she could reach the arrow, someone else grabbed it.

"Susan used to do this," Edmund said, handing the arrow back to his friend. "She was quite good at it. I never knew how she did it. I could shoot a crossbow pretty well, but was never good at shooting a bow like this. I'm much more comfortable with a sword."

"I see," Rapunzel said. "I think I'm too afraid to use a sword. I might cut my hair accidentally." She paused for a few seconds, thinking. "Do you think I should?"

"Should what?" the Just King asked, puzzled.

"Cut my hair off."

He gasped. "Why would you do that?"

"It would solve a lot of problems," she said. "I mean, it's so long and always getting in the way. Not to mention the fact that the Telmarines want it. And it's not as if I'm locked in a tower anymore and have to pull anybody up. I don't know. It might just be more convenient."

Edmund was surprised. He never thought that Rapunzel would ever _willingly_ cut off her seventy feet of hair. "But…but…but you're hair is what makes you _you_!"

"I don't want to be remembered as the Queen of Corona who had extremely long hair, Edmund. I want to be my own person," she pressed, firm in her belief.

"That makes sense, but I can't see you with anything but long, blonde hair."

"I can't really, either," Rapunzel laughed. She continued, her voice soft and contemplative, "It makes me think of Eugene."

"Your hair makes you think of _Eugene_?" She nodded. "Why?"

"I just think of how he called me 'Blondie', and how it helped me save his life. And how he took me to the Snuggly Duckling and to the lanterns and how we got trapped in that cave. And it reminds me of Gothel, and why she kidnapped me in the first place. Do you understand?"

Edmund nodded. "Is it what you really want?"

"I don't know!" Rapunzel cried breathlessly. "If it weren't for the healing powers, I would have cut it weeks ago. I don't want to get rid of my ability to heal people, especially since we don't have Lucy's cordial."

"We'll get that back, Rapunzel," the Just King said. "Don't worry about that. But…this is a big deal, Rapunzel. You said it won't grow back."

"But I think I _really_ want to!" she exclaimed. "If I'm never going to see Eugene again, I don't want to forget him, but I want to stop the—the pain. That doesn't even make sense."

"Yes, it does," Edmund argued, and pulled the confused Princess into an embrace. He held her for what seemed like forever, but then let her go. "You're just hurting. It makes perfect sense. Are you ready to forget him completely, though?"

"Are you listening, Edmund?" cried Rapunzel. "I don't _want_ to forget _him_; I just want to stop the heartache I'm feeling! I don't want to hurt anymore! It's getting worse and worse every time I see—" She stopped herself abruptly, fearing that she said too much.

"What?" Edmund asked. "Every time you see what?"

Rapunzel was hesitant to tell him. Would he think her silly and naïve? "You," she mumbled. "You make me forget about Eugene, and I hate that."

Edmund's heart soared and broke at once. He was rejoicing because she admitted (albeit accidentally, unwillingly, and not exactly) that she did have feelings for him. He was depressed because she didn't like how he made her forget the man he loved. What was he going to do? What was he going to say in response to that? What could he do to assuage her feelings and his own? Edmund felt confused. "I…I don't know what to say, Rapunzel, other than you should do whatever will make you happiest."

"I'll have to think about it some more," Rapunzel said. She stared at him, and then her eyes lit up as she remembered something. "Oh! Edmund, it seems like everyone—well, my…father, and then my mother—everyone keeps saying something about my father speaking with you. What was it about?"

"Nothing important," Edmund rushed. He realized his mistake just as he answered too quickly. Rapunzel could tell that he was very obviously keeping something from her.

"Please Edmund," she said, raising her eyebrows and sticking out her lower lip slightly. She looked like she was having trouble keeping from laughing and her ridiculous expression made Edmund want to laugh as well. He sighed and rolled his eyes, letting Rapunzel know that he was going to cave in to her requests. "Lucy taught me that," she explained.

"I should've known," he realized. That seemed like something that Lucy would do to Peter, who was the only person it would really work on. Edmund and Susan would just laugh at her. The Princess looked at him expectantly and the Just King sighed. He really didn't want to tell her this. It would make things between them even more awkward than they already were. But he didn't think he could put up with her—and Lucy's—stupid expression and her complaints. He really didn't have a choice, other than to say, "You remember how you and Peter are sort of 'betrothed', I guess you could say?"

"Yes…" she said slowly.

"Well," he continued, taking a deep breath so he could stall and avoid telling her the truth, "I told your father how good of friends you and I are, and he seemed to think that it was a better idea that you and…that you and I were married instead."

"Oh," she said softly, looking at the ground. Rapunzel wasn't expecting this.

"Not right away, of course," he said rapidly. "I mean, we don't ever really have to at all! I mean, technically, we're held to the arrangement by law, but people are always breaking the law, right? And—"

One look from Rapunzel got him to shut up.

"Are you alright?" he asked her tentatively.

"Yes," she said. "I'm just surprised." Edmund was a little downcast by her reaction. He hadn't expected her to be pleased, per se, just a little happier than…well, _this_. "Don't get me wrong, Edmund!" she exclaimed after seeing his shoulders sag the slightest bit. "I would much rather marry you than Peter, but...Oh, that sounds so strange. You and I are going to be married! We're going to be married… Isn't that a weird thought?"

"Yeah," he said, raising his brown eyes to meet her green eyes. "Look, we don't have to…I mean, we can put it off. You can go through with your plans to find Eugene…and then if you don't find him…we can…" He stared into her eyes and was growing extremely distracted. "We can get married if you…if you never…"

And then before either of them knew it, they were kissing, this time more assuredly and confident than ever before. Rapunzel subconsciously wrapped her arms around Edmund's neck and he tightened his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Somewhat hesitantly, Edmund deepened the kiss, unable to stop himself. Rapunzel was shocked, but responded to his actions. Finally, they parted, breathless, and stared into each other's eyes.

The first thing Rapunzel realized was that she wasn't plagued with tremendous guilt and heartache or the urge to run away as fast as possible.

The first thing Edmund realized was that Rapunzel wasn't crying or pulling away or running from him as fast as she possibly could.

They were both ecstatic.

Rapunzel took a deep breath and then laid her head against his chest. It was a strange feeling. She didn't really have guilt in her heart, but she could feel it in her soul. However, the emotions she were feeling for Edmund at the moment were so strong, she was not surprised that she couldn't feel her love for Eugene.

The couple merely stood there for several moments, closing their eyes as they leaned against each other, supporting each other and holding each other, until they were rudely interrupted by the sound of a horn.


	19. Matters of Life and Death

**Here's the first chapter of tonight's update! :) The next and final one is now up too!**

**Suggested listening: "What Shall We Die For", "I Don't Think Now is the Best Time", "One Day", and "Drink Up Me Hearties" from the POTC: At World's End Soundtrack! :)**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I own everything. ... Apparently, my Jedi mind tricks don't work. Poop.**

_Chapter XIX – Matters of Life and Death_

_Rapunzel stared at the wreckage around her. Tears formed in her eyes as she ran her hands through her short, brown hair. How could all this have happened so quickly? How was it possible that one week ago, her life was nearly perfect? Even yesterday, her life _was_ perfect! There was absolutely nothing wrong yesterday! Well, other than the impending doom, nothing was wrong. The Princess—or Queen, rather—allowed the tears to slip down her cheeks as she bit her lip to keep from crying out. What had gone wrong? Why was this all so wrong?_

_She looked at the bodies surrounding her. There were too many familiar ones to be comfortable. Warm, strong arms surrounded her as she shivered from the chill in the air. "Everything will be alright," he said to her, his voice low and comforting. "I promise. We'll go home and everything will be alright."_

_"But it can't be! He's…he's gone! It will never be alright!" she screamed into the silence around her, refusing to look at the man who had his arms around her. "How can anything be right when he's gone? I loved him! We were married and I loved him!"_

_"I love you," the man said to reassure her. It didn't work._

_Angry tears streamed down her face as Rapunzel screamed at the world. How could they take him from her? "Why?" she screamed. "Why, Aslan? Why would you do this to me? What have I done wrong?"_

_She didn't expect an answer._

* * *

Peter stuck his hands out to the fire. Why did it have to be so cold in the spring? The cloudy skies weren't helping. Lucy came up and sat next to him. She warmed her hands by the fire as well and pulled her cloak tighter around her. She hated the fact that the Narnians had retreated. They were taking refuge for the night after the small skirmish early today. The Valiant Queen knew that there would be a dangerous battle tomorrow. It was—unfortunately—inevitable.

Susan sat down next to her younger sister and wrapped her arms around the girl. Everything had happened so quickly! She was riding in the woods and stumbled upon a Narnian camp. She was not surprised to see Edmund and Rapunzel there. It had taken her quite some time to convince them that she was not there to hurt them and that she was extremely sorry for betraying them and Narnia and Aslan. The day after she arrived, the Narnian Resistance headed back to Cair Paravel, making camp at the Stone Table because it was close enough to Cair Paravel, but far enough away to not be a threat.

Peter, Lucy, and Eugene had arrived on a ship from Galma, and had to fight their way back into Narnia, the three of them plus a handful of Narnians barely escaping from the wrathful hand of the Telmarines. They had heard from the dryads that the Narnian Resistance was at Cair Paravel, and the entire Pevensie family as well Eugene and Rapunzel were reunited. The tension was thick for the rest of the day because of the blatantly obvious 'love triangle' between Rapunzel, Eugene, and Edmund. Rapunzel didn't want to hurt either of the men, so she avoided both of them.

That had been the previous day. Today at noon, the Telmarines had appeared from nowhere and attacked. The battle had not gone well for the Narnians, who were outnumbered by at least two to one. Only a few had been lost from each side before Peter called everyone to retreat. The Narnians had fallen back deep into the woods, where the Telmarines were far to travel. They were not nearly as superstitious as they were rumored to be, but still feared the woods to an extent (especially when a large group of dryads volunteer to spook the Telmarines from the woods).

So now, the six warriors sat silently around a fire, waiting for the night to pass and the morning to break. They all just wanted this conflict to be over. After some time passed, the girls went to bed, and the boys followed.

The morning came too quickly. The Narnians were up early to get suited in their armor for battle. As Rapunzel tied the cuirass around her chest, she made up her mind about one of the decisions that had been plaguing her for a week. "Susan," Rapunzel said clearly and determinedly, "I want you to cut my hair off."

"What?" Susan and Lucy asked at the same time.

"Cut it all off. It's in the way, and I don't want any Telmarines coming after me because of my hair. I've thought about it, and I want it to come off."

"Are—are you sure?" Susan asked cautiously. Rapunzel nodded firmly. "Well, alright…but you know that you can't change it, right?" She nodded again. "If you say so…" Lucy unsheathed her dagger and handed it to her older sister. Rapunzel hastily unbraided her hair and let it hang. She let some of it run through her fingers and closed her eyes, thinking back onto happier times. Those times were past, and Rapunzel was a completely different person now. May the new era begin.

Susan carefully raised the dagger behind Rapunzel's hair at her mid-back. "Higher," Rapunzel commanded. She raised it to about breast length. "Higher." Susan raised the dagger to her shoulders. "Higher. I don't want it to hold me back." A little worried, Susan raised the dagger to Rapunzel's chin. The Princess smiled. "Yes."

"You're completely sure?"

"Of course."

And so Susan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, reopened her eyes, and sliced.

The heavy golden hair fell to the ground. Rapunzel immediately spun around, raised her hands to her head and looked at the floor. Rapidly, the hair turned brown and powerless. The girls heard a high-pitched scream from the woods.

"Telmarines!" Lucy exclaimed.

Rapunzel shook her head confidently. "Gothel," she corrected.

The three girls ran from the tent in full armor and with their weapons, heading for the trees where the scream had sounded from. Sure enough, about a hundred feet away from the camp, but still in sight of the girls' tent, was an old woman. She was shrieking in pain and shriveling before their very eyes. Upon seeing Rapunzel, Gothel growled, "You!"

"Me," Rapunzel said bravely. She approached the witch. "I loved you, Mother, but you abused my hair's magic. And I see you have stolen Lucy's cordial." The now-brunette Princess ripped the diamond vial from the old woman's hands and tossed it to the Valiant Queen, who caught it deftly.

"I love you," Gothel said weakly.

"I love you more," Rapunzel said automatically, her resolve weakening.

"I love you most," Gothel said, and with a painful scream, the witch staggered back and collapsed, her cloak falling to the ground. Rapunzel's mother was no more.

Rapunzel let out a choked sob and reached her hands out, but then thought twice and turned on her heel. Without a word, she walked back to the camp. The army was assembling to go to battle with the Telmarines. The girls quickly walked over to Peter, Edmund, and Eugene, who were in full Narnian battle attire. Rapunzel walked by and ignored the boys and their gapes toward her head, heading toward the archers. Susan shrugged as if to say, "We'll explain later," and followed Rapunzel to the archers.

Lucy remained with the boys. She held up her cordial and said, "Long story short, Rapunzel decided to cut her hair off really short, we heard a scream, Gothel died, and I got my cordial back! Let's just pray that we won't lose too many Narnians today."

The boys nodded and turned toward the army. A centaur blew his horn to get the Narnians and Coronans attention. Peter opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Maximus galloping up to him. He nudged Peter and tossed his head toward the saddle bag. Peter furrowed his brow and opened the bag. Inside was a note and something large. Peter read the note, and then pulled out the object. He took one glance at it and realized what he needed to do. He opened his mouth again and said, "Narnians and Coronans! Today, we go to battle against the Telmarines for Narnia! But first, there is something I have to do. Just a moment ago, I received word from Cair Paravel, via this horse, Maximus, and from Queen Julia of Corona that she is hereby abdicating the Coronan throne to her daughter, Rapunzel. Please come here, Princess Rapunzel."

The brunette approached the High King, surprised.

"Under normal circumstances, she could only be crowned by her predecessors, but as they are unavailable, Queen Julia has given me the right and permission to crown Rapunzel as Queen of Corona." He towered over her as she knelt in front of him as per his directions. The King placed the crown on her head and said, "I, High King Peter the Magnificent, hereby crown you, Princess Rapunzel, as Queen of Corona. Rise, Queen Rapunzel."

Queen Rapunzel stood and faced the army. The Coronans knelt before her, followed by the Narnians in an unspoken vow to protect their ally's Queen. Rapunzel smiled as the Coronans shouted, "Long live Queen Rapunzel!"

Rapunzel walked over to the archers, taking her crown off and placing it back in Max's bag so as not to lose it during battle. Peter retained attention from the army and said, "Now, we go to war."

The army cheered as they marched onto battle.

* * *

Susan took a deep breath as she watched the Narnian army stand in their normal battle formation. She was above the battlefield on the cliffs with the other archers. It was ironic that they were at the same battlefield as they had fought the White Witch's army at. It seemed that Narnia's independence would always be gained at this location. Or, at least, Susan hoped that Narnia's independence would be gained here.

Rapunzel stood at Susan's right side. Lucy was on Susan's left side. The youngest Queen would much rather be in battle, but Peter would not allow it right after she was kidnapped. Rapunzel was nervous about both Edmund and Eugene fighting below.

The girls could see the Telmarines in the distance. They were clearly very organized and meticulous in the training. And they outnumbered the Narnians by at least four times.

All three young women took in a deep breath as they saw Peter draw his sword. They heard his cry, "For Narnia! And for Aslan!" and then saw him lead the army toward the Telmarines.

Susan flinched as she heard the armies meet in the middle after what seemed like an eternity. It always did. She strongly raised her bow and led the other archers in doing so. "Ready…aim…fire!" Dozens of arrows split the air and flew down to the battlefield. All the archers immediately put another arrow to their string and awaited Susan's command. The Queen was basing her orders off of who seemed to be winning, or doing the best, at the time. Susan directed the archers to fire once more, and her eyes rapidly scanned the field for any sight of Edmund or Peter or Eugene.

Edmund was fighting two Telmarines.

Peter was pulling his sword out of a Telmarine soldier.

Eugene was nowhere to be found.

Rapunzel was extremely nervous. She didn't want to be here, and she didn't want any of her friends to be in this situation. She had a nasty feeling that it wasn't going to end well for all of her friends. Corona's newest Queen took a deep breath and scanned the field of battle for the men she loved.

The archers helped shoot down some Telmarines, but overall, the Narnians were losing badly. The girls saw something large in the distance. Rapunzel hadn't ever seen anything like it, but Susan recognized it and remembered hearing that the Telmarines used these contraptions in battle: catapults. The ground beneath the archers shook and Susan realized that they were being shot at by giant boulders. "Brace yourselves!" she screamed over the noises of the battle.

The cliff shook again, and some of the stone dropped out. Susan and Rapunzel were flung to the ground, held only by Lucy and another archer's hands, who were in turn being held up by more archers. The Queens hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. Susan's head quickly dropped, trying to see if there was anything that they could land on.

"Let go!" the Gentle Queen shouted. The archers and Valiant Queen knew better than to argue with the Gentle Queen, so they immediately dropped the two women. Susan and Rapunzel hit the ground with a thud. They were on top of a hill. "Are you ready to fight?" Susan asked. Rapunzel nodded. Susan had told the others to drop them because she could see that both of them were itching to go help the other Narnians and Coronans.

The Queens nodded at each other firmly and raced off into the fray. The sounds of the battle were deafening. Susan and Rapunzel were split up rather quickly as they were pulled into separate fights of their own. Rapunzel shot at some Telmarines and was very lucky with her aim, but she wasn't able to reload her bow fast enough. She saw that Susan had this same problem, but the older Queen had given up on trying to shoot the Telmarines. She was merely stabbing them with her arrows.

Rapunzel did the same as her fellow Queen and started jamming the arrows into the cracks in the Telmarines' armor, pulling them back out once they were dead. It didn't even seem like taking a life to Rapunzel, even though she knew that it was. These people had taken control of Narnia and needed to be gotten rid of! Rapunzel ducked as a man slashed out at her with his sword. She stood back up but immediately threw her body backwards as he thrust his sword at her. Rapunzel lost her balance and tumbled down to the ground, rolling down the hill because of the incline. Fortunately, she was able to knock down some people on her way. Unfortunately, she was almost trampled.

A large hand reached down to her. The Queen grabbed it and was lifted to her feet. She was face to face with Eugene. "Eugene!" she squeaked.

"Your majesty," he said, somewhat formally.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Well, obviously, something's wrong!"

"I just…why?"

"What?"

"Why did you choose him?" Eugene shouted.

"Choose who?" asked Rapunzel, shoving an arrow to her bow. She shot it at a Telmarine who was running up to a Leopard who was already engaged in battle with another Telmarine. She heard a loud explosion as a boulder was catapulted into the rocky cliffs.

"King Edmund!" Eugene replied bitterly. He was back to back with Rapunzel now, each of them protecting the other. "You two are married now, aren't you?"

"Of course not! That's ridiculous!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "I love you!"

"I love you, too!" Eugene shouted, and spun around to face the Queen. Without hesitating for the slightest second, Eugene pulled Rapunzel to him and kissed her more passionately than ever before. They were so engrossed in each other that they were oblivious to their surroundings until they were interrupted by a deep voice.

"Maybe that should be continued another time!" Peter shouted.

Rapunzel looked at the King and shot an arrow at a Telmarine sneaking up behind him. "Peter! You crowned me Queen of Corona, so can you do marriages?"

"Uh, I guess, but I don't think now is the best time—"

"Eugene Fitzherbert, will you marry me?" Rapunzel demanded, interrupting the High King.

"Yes!" he responded immediately.

"Marry us, Peter!" Rapunzel said.

He sighed and as he fought two Telmarines at once, he shouted back to the couple, "Eugene Fitzherbert, do you take Queen Rapunzel to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do!"

"Queen Rapunzel, do you take Eugene Fitzherbert to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do!"

"Then by the power vested in me as High King of Narnia, I now pronounce you husband and wife!"

Rapunzel and Eugene immediately stopped their fighting and turned to each other. Their lips were immediately together and they kissed deeply and passionately.

"Can you continue this later?" Peter asked. "I could really use some help here!"

The two pulled apart, grinning like never before, and returned to fighting the Telmarines. Rapunzel shot more arrows at Telmarines and thrust them into their chests with her bare hands. She turned on the spot upon hearing a strangled gasp. Blood was spattered over the grass, and Eugene was on the ground, clutching his side, where a dagger was lodged. Rapunzel instinctively reached for her hair, but it wasn't there. "Eugene!" she cried, not knowing what to do.

* * *

Susan pulled an arrow from a Telmarine's chest and immediately restrung it to her bow, and then shot it at another Telmarine who was getting dangerously close to a faun. She raced over, drawing the dagger she had tucked away, and slitting the wrist of a Telmarine who happened to be lacking the proper armor required. How unfortunate for him.

The Gentle Queen helped the faun, and then started fighting dagger to sword with a Telmarine. Susan wasn't dressed to be fighting in one-on-one combat; she was supposed to be an archer. She jumped as the Telmarine swung his sword toward her ankles, pulling her legs in so she wouldn't get her legs injured. While he was recovering from the loss of balance, Susan kicked him to the ground and shoved the dagger in the space between his armor. He grunted and fell to the ground.

Susan stood and shot an arrow at a Telmarine. She looked around the battlefield and immediately saw Rapunzel and Eugene off in the distance. Peter was there, too. She saw Lucy up on the cliffs and knew that her younger sister was probably livid that she couldn't join the battle, but Lucy knew better than to face Peter's wrath. The High King would be furious if he found out that Lucy had joined the fight.

She ran to Edmund, who didn't seem to be faring very well, as he was fighting three Telmarines at once. Before she could reach her younger brother, Susan paused to shoot an arrow at a Telmarine who was about to strike the deathblow toward a fallen Centaur. Susan looked around once more, and saw that the Narnians were suffering greatly, and the Telmarine army was growing larger and larger. It was as if boats of soldiers were arriving from Telmar and marching to the battlefield. Susan realized that was probably true.

The Queen knew that they would need a miracle to get out of this alive. Where was Aslan? Why wasn't he here? Why couldn't he just run in and save the day like every other time! Susan sighed and immediately fell to the ground as a Telmarine ran by and pushed her over. She had been so distracted that she hadn't realized that a man was running toward her.

Susan looked up into the masked face and saw the sword that was raised above her. She rolled out of the way as the weapon came crashing down. The metal hit the grass, but was immediately raised again. The Queen rolled in the other direction this time, but she was not nearly quick enough. She cried out in pain as her arm was harmed. Clutching her right forearm with her left hand, Susan winced and forced herself to duck as the sword came down again. She struggled to stand, but made it eventually. How was she going to shoot? With her left hand, Susan pulled out an arrow and jammed it into the man's neck. He slammed to the ground. Immediately, Susan ran off to find another opponent.

She needed to find Lucy and get a drop of the fire-flower juice. She wasn't going to be able to do much good if she was injured. There wasn't a way for her to shoot or stab or fight if her right arm was injured. Susan had never wished to be ambidextrous before now, but she was praying that Aslan might give her the ability to fight with her left hand and arm. She didn't truly think it possible.

Susan did the first thing she could think of—run to Edmund. Being with the Just King was better than being unprotected. He might be able to get her to Lucy more quickly than she could by herself. He would be there to protect her from harm. But he was also busy. Should she disrupt him and ask him to leave the field to help her? She could manage on her own.

The injured Queen ran as fast as she could manage to the edge of the cliffs, dodging weapons and angry and passionate soldiers from both sides of the battle. She was about one hundred feet away when she felt a searing pain in the back of her thigh. She turned around and saw an arrow lodged in her leg. Of all the things to happen to her… She staggered and fell over, and saw a dark figure pass over her.

Her vision swam and then all she saw was darkness.

* * *

Lucy couldn't stand this. She hated being with the archers when her family was out there fighting. She was a Queen of Narnia, too! She should fight for their freedom with her people and not stand up here like—the only word Lucy could think of was 'coward', but she knew that wasn't true. The archers were not cowards. They, too, were fighting for Narnia. She just hated not knowing what was going on. She didn't even know where her family was! She couldn't pick them out from the masses below. Lucy hoped that they weren't injured or worse.

She couldn't just stand here! Lucy was going insane and being paranoid. It was driving her mad. _Where are You, Aslan?_ she wondered, looking up at the grey skies. It looked like it was about to rain any second. She didn't know how rain would affect the battle, but it most likely wouldn't help the Narnians, who seemed to be losing terribly. They needed help and quickly. At this point, Lucy knew that there was really only one person who could help the Narnians: Aslan.

Making up her mind, Lucy turned to the centaur next to her and said, "Almaud, you are now to lead the archers. I'm going to find Aslan."

The centaur nodded and looked to the sky, "The stars have said that help will come from the east."

"I'll take that as Aslan will come, then," Lucy said. She smiled, nodded her thanks, and ran from the field of death and despair. Heading for the woods, the Valiant Queen ran with all her might. She had no horse, and she knew not where she was going, but she didn't care. Hopefully, Aslan would find her before too long. However, Lucy knew that Aslan was not a tame Lion, and therefore, would not come just because she wished it. Despite her doubts, Lucy entered the woods.

She knew exactly where she was because she had walked these woods many times before. Lucy had no idea where to start looking, so she headed for the Stone Table. If anywhere, this is where she would meet Aslan. After all, it held a significant meaning for them both.

Lucy walked briskly through the woods, listening carefully as the sounds of battle decreased the further away she got, and watching for a flash of gold in the trees or a golden paw stepping out from behind a bush. There was nothing there in the woods, but she continued looking. She had to have faith! Aslan would come. He just had to.

The girl walked for at least an hour before she finally saw the Stone Table up ahead. It was just as humbling and yet majestic as it had always been. Lucy slowly approached the Table and sat on it, waiting for something to happen.

She sat for the longest time. Lucy waited and waited and waited, but no one came. "Aslan," she said, exhausted and emotionally drained, "Where are you?"

She received no answer, but eventually stood and began to walk away from the Stone Table. Just as she was about to reenter the woods, Lucy saw her shadow cast on the ground before her.

"That's odd," she said to herself, as it was a cloudy day and there was no sun to cause a shadow, but then she realized what the shadow meant. Smiling brightly, Lucy turned around and ran up to the Lion who stood between the Valiant Queen and the Stone Table. "Aslan!"

"Hello, Daughter of Eve," the Great Lion said. He chuckled at her enthusiasm, and said, "Come, we have much we need to accomplish."

"Like what, Aslan? There are no stone statues to free this time."

Aslan laughed again, and said, "No, but your brothers and sister and friends and fellow Narnians need help to win this battle before it is too late."

"I see," Lucy said.

"Climb up onto my back, Daughter. We have a great distance to travel." The Queen did so, and as she buried her hands in His mane, the Lion let out a tremendous roar that shook the trees for miles. The two bounded through the trees powerfully and confidently. They made it to the battlefield in much less time than Lucy had taken to walk it earlier. As soon as they reached the cliffs, Lucy realized how awful the situation actually was.

The archers had been forced to join the actual fighting because the Narnians were falling quickly. The battlefield was a graveyard. Bodies littered the ground, and there were a few dozen Narnians still struggling against the strong Telmarines. Lucy almost started crying at the depressing sight. She covered her ears as Aslan roared again, this time more loudly and fiercely than before.

The Telmarines looked up and immediately began to back away in retreat. They were afraid of the Lion! It was almost too good to be true, but it was real. Aslan roared once more, and the Telmarines were shaking in fear. They immediately ran in the opposite direction, afraid of all these mythological creatures, but also afraid of the Lion who had plagued their childhood horror stories. Soon, only a few Telmarines were left, the others having run in cowardice, but the Narnians quickly took care of these stragglers, adding their bodies to the count that were scattered across the ground.

Lucy leapt down the hills, searching for her siblings among the few dozen Narnians who were left standing. There was Edmund, standing next to Rapunzel, but where were the others? Panicking, Lucy looked back to Aslan for reassurance, but he was gone again. She was a little sad that he had just left without saying goodbye, but she knew that he must have his reasons. Reaching for her cordial, Lucy ran to the closest Narnian, a satyr, and started the healing process that followed every battle.

* * *

Rapunzel stared at the wreckage around her. Tears formed in her eyes as she ran her hands through her short, brown hair. How could all this have happened so quickly? How was it possible that one week ago, her life was nearly perfect? Even yesterday, her life was perfect! There was absolutely nothing wrong yesterday! Well, other than the impending doom, nothing was wrong. The Princess—or Queen, rather—allowed the tears to slip down her cheeks as she bit her lip to keep from crying out. What had gone wrong? Why was this all so wrong?

She looked at the bodies surrounding her. There were too many familiar ones to be comfortable. Warm, strong arms surrounded her as she shivered from the chill in the air. "Everything will be alright," he said to her, his voice low and comforting. "I promise. We'll go home and everything will be alright."

"But it can't be! He's…he's gone! It will never be alright!" she screamed into the silence around her, refusing to look at the man who had his arms around her. "How can anything be right when he's gone? I loved him! We were married and I loved him!"

"I love you," the man said to reassure her. It didn't work.

Angry tears streamed down her face as Rapunzel screamed at the world. How could they take him from her? "Why?" she screamed. "Why, Aslan? Why would you do this to me? What have I done wrong?"

She didn't expect an answer.

Edmund wrapped his arms protectively around the sobbing Queen of Corona. She broke free of his grasp and knelt next to her husband. The Just King knew that she could never be his, but he couldn't stand seeing her like this. He watched as she laid across Eugene's chest, with the dying man stroking her short, brown hair.

"I shouldn't have cut my hair," Rapunzel said to her husband. "Now I can't save you."

"You saved my life once," Eugene breathed. "And that's enough. We got to live our dream. We got married…"

"We've only been married for a few hours, Eugene," Rapunzel cried. As his breathing became shallower, Rapunzel carefully adjusted his head so that he was lying in her lap, her hands gently stroking his brown hair. She lowered her head and pressed her lips to his forehead as his eyes closed, his breathing growing fainter and fainter. "I love you, Eugene Fitzherbert."

"And I love you, Queen Rapunzel Fitzherbert," the man whispered softly.

Lucy ran up to Edmund, and saw the scene before her. The Valiant Queen immediately ran to Eugene's side and pulled out her cordial. Rapunzel looked at the Valiant Queen quizzically before realizing what she was going to do. Lucy poured a drop or two into the dying man's mouth, and waited for something to happen, waited for him to sit up and be healed.

Eugene Fitzherbert did not sit up. Rapunzel let out a choked sob, and leaned over her husband's body, tears streaming down her face and onto his cheeks. And then a miracle happened. Eugene's eyes flickered open and he stared into Rapunzel's large, green eyes.

A smile broke out onto the Queen's face, and she immediately embraced her husband as he sat up, completely healed. Rapunzel grinned and kissed her husband.

Lucy and Edmund looked away, both needing to find their siblings.

The two found Peter, who was speaking with Oreius about what to do with the Telmarine bodies. Relieved that he wasn't harmed, they sought out Susan. After ten minutes of searching, they found her lying on the ground, unconscious. Lucy saw the blood on her clothing, and poured a drop of the cordial into her sister's mouth. Susan sat up and embraced her sister and brother.

The Pevensies continued to go around, healing the injured Narnians and Coronans, smiling as they went. Narnia was free.


	20. Time to Go Home and Epilogue

**Well, here's the finale of this epic story! It's the longest I've ever written, and it's been a great experience! Thanks for all the reviews and all the worries and all the love! :) You all rock! :D**

**Suggested listening: "Farewell" from Pocahontas, "Drink Up Me Hearties" from POTC: AWE, and "Time to Go Home" from Narnia: VDT. Though the playlist is longer than the actual chapter...**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN IT! GET OFF MY CASE!**

**Thanks for everything! I love you! :)**

_Chapter XX – Time to Go Home_

Rapunzel and Eugene stood on the balcony of their—formerly just Rapunzel's—room, holding hands as they stared out at the Eastern Sea. "I'm going to miss it," the Queen of Corona said somberly. They had been back at Cair Paravel for a week. The Telmarines had fled to their ships and back to Telmar. High King Peter decided not to chase them, for that would take a great deal of effort, and he didn't want to put any more Narnians in danger by fighting the Telmarines.

"Miss what?" her husband asked. He was going to be crowned King of Corona upon their arrival in Corona. Queen Julia would have crowned him as soon as she first met him, but Eugene insisted on waiting until they had reached the land. He realized that the Coronans would probably want to know that the lost princess had been found before knowing that their King had passed away in battle and their Queen abdicated, giving them two new rulers. The former thief didn't tell anyone this, but he also felt like waiting on becoming King of Corona. It was a strange thought that he was going to rule a country. He was so used to never having anybody to depend on for anything and being the very bottom of the metaphorical food chain, and now he would have an entire family and be the ruler of a country with hundreds, if not thousands of people looking up to him for leadership and guidance. Eugene didn't know if he was ready, despite Rapunzel and Julia's confidence in him.

"Oh, everything," the brunette said. "The Eastern Sea, Cair Paravel, Narnia…and all the people, especially the Pevensies, Tumnus, and all the other friends we made. I'm going to miss the smell of the Eastern Sea, and the sight of the trees, and the sounds of the Narnians. It's all so different than Corona."

"We can come back to visit. And they can come visit us. If you want, once we get home, they can come visit us as soon as we arrive. You'll only be apart from them for a few weeks."

"I suppose," Rapunzel said softly. "It's just so different…I've lived here for months. And the only other home I've known was my tower. I don't know how to find home."

"I've never had a home, either," Eugene said to her. "I think our home will just have to be wherever we're together."

"Alright," Rapunzel said, turning to her husband and hugging him. She let go, and looked back out to the Eastern Sea. "We should probably get going, before I completely change my mind."

Eugene laughed and said, "Yes, your majesty."

The couple left their balcony with a final glance over their shoulders. They left their room and walked through Cair Paravel to the entrance hall. The two stepped outside and saw the four Pevensies waiting for them, as well as Rapunzel's mother. Queen Julia had stayed in her hiding place in Cair Paravel, sneaking out through the secret passageway to send the crown and note to the Narnians in hopes that Peter would crown Rapunzel as Queen. She had then returned to her hiding place until the Narnians had won the battle and returned to the Cair.

"It's time to go home," Julia said. "I'll go make sure the horses are ready." The former Queen walked off, knowing that the six young adults would need time alone to say goodbye.

Rapunzel hugged Peter and Lucy, but she started crying when she hugged Susan. "Why are you crying?" the Gentle Queen asked.

"I'm only going to get to see you a few times a year, Susan," the Queen of Corona said, laughing as she wiped her tears away. "It's going to be like this every time we part. I'm going to miss you!"

"And I'm going to miss you," Susan replied, pulling her best friend into a tight embrace.

After a long moment, Rapunzel pulled away and embraced Edmund. "I'm going to miss you, Rapunzel," he murmured against her short, brown hair.

"It's not forever," she said, closing her eyes. He whispered something in her ear, and she smiled sentimentally, whispering something back. Finally, she released the Just King and said, "Goodbye, Edmund."

"Goodbye, Rapunzel," the Just King replied. He smiled at her, feeling a sense of finality in his words. Strange. He watched as the Queen walked to her husband and standing by him.

"We'll see you in a few weeks," Susan said. "We've already decided that the four of us are going to come visit you. Or at least Ed and I will come visit you. Lucy and Peter are going to try to come, but if something comes up, they might not be able to."

"We understand," Rapunzel said, slipping her hand into her husband's and giving it a squeeze. "But I hope you all will be able to come."

"I guess it's time for us to go now," Eugene said, slowly starting to walk toward the party that was to accompany the Queen of Corona and her husband. The army had gone home a few days prior, but a few stayed behind to make sure that Rapunzel and Eugene got home safely.

"Goodbye!" Rapunzel cried, tears coming to her eyes once more.

"Goodbye!" the Kings and Queens of Narnia called.

Rapunzel mounted Maximus and the party started to trot off. Rapunzel turned in her saddle and waved to her friends until they were so far in the woods that she couldn't see them anymore. The Queen turned to her husband and asked, "Do you think that we'll be a good Queen and King of Corona?" She didn't want to hurt the people or allow anyone to invade them. All Rapunzel wanted was for there to be peace and kindness and love everywhere.

"Of course," he said. "What with your brains and my dashing good looks, we'll be the most popular royals ever." Rapunzel laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'm just kidding."

"I know," she said, feeling truly happy for once. "Let's go home." Eugene and Rapunzel rode through the woods toward Corona, both knowing in their hearts that things would be better now.

* * *

_Epilogue_

Queen Susan and King Edmund quietly pulled Prince Caspian aside once they reached Aslan's How. "What do you know of the kingdom of Corona?" Susan asked the Telmarine.

Caspian was surprised at Queen Susan's question. "Only the basics because not much information is known about them. I was not to learn about Narnia, but Doctor Cornelius taught me a few things about the Old Narnia and Corona. It was unheard of until they contacted the Kings and Queens of Old. The lost princess, Rapunzel, and her husband, Eugene, ruled kindly and justly for many years."

"What happened after we disappeared?" Edmund pressed.

"I'm not exactly sure, but the King, Eugene, died in battle with the Calormenes shortly after their second child was born. Queen Rapunzel was heartbroken and died shortly thereafter, forcing their five-year old daughter, Susan, to take the throne. The baby's name was Edmund." The Pevensies exchanged a sentimental look. "When the Telmarines took over Narnia, Caspian I offered peace to the country, but they didn't accept for some unknown reason. It is rumored that the Coronans didn't accept the peace offering because Queen Rapunzel and King Eugene had fought the Telmarines nearly a thousand years before. Corona was destroyed within the year."

A tear slid down Susan's cheek. Edmund looked solemnly into the distance.

"There are…_rumors_ that Queen Rapunzel and King Eugene were close to the Kings and Queens of Old."

"We were close," Susan said. "Rapunzel was my best friend. No one knew her like Ed and I, except for Eugene, of course. And Eugene saved Lucy's life. And Edmund…"

"There are also rumors that Queen Rapunzel was in love with one of the Kings of Old."

"I loved her," Edmund said quietly. "I always did." He laughed bitterly. "I still do. It's only been a year since I've seen her."

Susan placed her hand on Edmund's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "We all loved her. We all would've died without her and Eugene. The two of them were a gift from Aslan. At least they're in Aslan's Country now…"

Caspian felt awkward by staying with the mourning siblings, but he didn't know what else to do.

"We were on our way home from visiting them," Susan explained. "We took a long way through Narnia because we heard that the White Stag was in the Lantern Waste. We came across a strange tree that we all felt as if we'd seen before. And then Lucy led us off into the thick of the forest. Suddenly, we tumbled out of the Wardrobe as if no time had passed during out time in Narnia. We couldn't find a way back."

"I can't believe they're gone," Edmund said. "Do you remember that Rapunzel was pregnant with their first child when we left them that time?" Susan nodded. "I can't believe they're gone…"

"We'll see them again," Susan said confidently. "It won't be forever."

"We'll see them again," Edmund confirmed.

And as the Pevensies watched the sunset from Aslan's How, they knew that Rapunzel and Eugene would be watching over them as the first adventure concluded and the next began.


End file.
